Memoirs of a Forgotten Family
by H. Coco
Summary: AU. When Maria died, Shadow longed for companionship. He finds it in the form of a young fox cub. These are the tales of a loving father and his adopted daughter. Female!Tails
1. Prologue: Abandoned

Uh, hi... I'm H.C

**They know that, just get on with it already! Dweeb...**

I'm not a dweeb! First story, late at night, fueled by soda and hot chocolate...

**And me, her muse.**

Shut up. I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog (Who isn't in this story until the end), or any characters relating to said hero.

**Nice. You have such a way with words.**

Does anyone know how to shut that guy up?

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Prologue: Abandoned

Autumn winds blew through the forest, leaves of gold and red scattering about in it's wake. Sunlight poured through the canopy of tree leaves, making a pattern of light on the ground. The time of fall was truly a beautiful one. The colors of the harvest; the season of rebirth. And for one hedgehog, it was a time of mourning.

_It was one year ago today..._ Shadow remembered as he strolled through the forest. Since most of the townspeople considered the forest a dangerous place, it was the perfect place to go to be alone. For as long as he could remember, Shadow and Maria would walk through here, simply because others didn't.

_Maria..._

Shadow shut his eyes tightly, to prevent the building tears from escaping. One year ago today, Maria, his best friend, passed on. Life hadn't been the same since. The woman he'd known his entire life was gone, and for the first time in his life, he was all alone. The first thing he did was change his position in G.U.N. Instead of a full-time agent, he was now a reserve, and would only be called upon in times of emergency. It's for the best, really. Even he doesn't know the true extent of the power bestowed upon him by his creator, Professor Gerald Robotnik.

When the professor died, Maria and Shadow moved to Green Hill, where they had spent their lives. Maria became a school teacher; Shadow had joined G.U.N. They were accepted by their neighbors, despite Shadow's secrecy, and lived wonderful lives. The one thing that kept him going was the fact that Maria died happy.

And that's all he had wanted for her. Happiness.

Walking down the familiar pathway, Shadow remembered the good times with Maria. As long as he had her memories, a part of her still lived on. Though one thing still puzzled him.

Loneliness.

Without Maria, Shadow found himself all alone. It was an unfamiliar feeling, since he'd had Maria all his life. The other creatures... they never seemed to inspire the same loyalty Maria did. The aching feeling that you're without companionship struck him, and it wasn't a pleasant one. Shadow paused, looking to the sky as he always did. For some reason, it made him feel better.

_Maria... please, what do I do now? _Shadow asked his deceased friend._ Show me a sign..._

A cry echoed through the forest.

Shadow jumped; He hadn't expected it, coming out of nowhere. But he recognized it; a baby's cry. When he and Maria went to the village, sometimes they'd see or hear babies. While Maria found them adorable, Shadow found he didn't like them. Too loud, and they didn't do anything. Just eat, cry, and sleep. But they were also helpless. Curiosity overcame Shadow's dislike of children, and he found himself heading towards the source of the cries.

Shadow jumped over a root, ducted under a branch, and walked across the leaves littering the forest floor. With a little shock, Shadow realized that he had begun running at some point, clearing the forest faster than he originally intended. As he traveled, the cries got louder. Then, he came to a clearing.

On the ground, besides the usual dirt, rocks, and leaves, was a child, wrapped in a single blue blanket. The cries originated from this young child, left on the ground. Shadow frowned, picking the bundle up. Weren't parents supposed to care for their children? And he was pretty sure leaving a child on the floor of a forest where dangerous feral animals were supposed to live wasn't caring. In fact... it was downright terrible. Shadow moved back the section of the blanket covering the child's face.

Two beautiful blue irises stared back. A fox kit was swaddled by the blanket, it's little white muzzle poking out from underneath the edge of the blanket. Golden was the only color that could be used to describe it's fur. Little ears poked out from underneath the blanket. Shadow stared in awe at the child. It was... beautiful. Why would someone just throw a child out like garbage? He wondered while subconsciously stroking the cheek of the babe. The kit smiled, pulling one of it's paws out from underneath the blanket and lying it on Shadow's cheek.

He smiled. _Maria... is this your sign?_

* * *

"So... you just found this baby?" A green hedgefox asked Shadow, who nodded. After picking it up, he brought the kit to a local hospital, to check it over for possible illness or injury. The hedgefox, named Cornelius, was checking it over.

"Well, err, congratulations, it's a girl!" Cornelius announced. Shadow looked at her, frowning in thought. A girl...

"Why would someone abandon such a beautiful child like that?" He asked the doctor. Cornelius responded:

"A lot of reasons: money issues, not wanting a child, phobia..." Shadow proceeded to look from the child held in his arms to the doctor.

"Phobia?"

Cornelius sighed, took the girl from Shadow's arms and proceeded to unwrapped the kit from her blanket. Shadow's eyes widened at the sight before him. Two tails. The fox child was a kitsune.

"Some people... don't want to say their child is a freak. And unless something's changed in the past twenty minutes, having two tails isn't exactly normal."

Shadow scowled at him, then, with a gentler gaze, looked back at the child. Despite- no, _**because**_ of her two tails, she was even more beautiful than when he first held her. He took her back into his arms, cooing her, much to the kit's amusement. She smiled, laughed, and grabbed at his nose. She was, in many ways, just like every other baby he'd met, but at the same time... she was different. Cornelius smiled at the way he played with the kit.

"Looks like you're a natural at this parent thing. Gonna adopt her?"

The baby cooed, as if liking that idea. To be truthful, it didn't sound so bad to Shadow either. Or at least, the thought of a baby in his home was better than the thought of this little girl in an orphanage somewhere. And he _**did**_ ask for a sign...

"So, what's her name?"

Shadow looked up, "Excuse me?"

"Ya know, the name. Like mine's Cornelius and yours is Shadow. What's. Her. Name?"

Shadow looked at the girl, scarlet pupils met blue ones. She giggled, and Shadow smiled. For a moment, everything felt alright again. Loneliness had fled his heart. The gap left by Maria's death was full, even for a moment. _Thank you..._

"Maria... her name is Maria."

* * *

I like how this turned out.

**Well, you DID write it, Einstein. You're supposed to like it. Otherwise you wouldn't post it.**

...Didn't I get rid of you?

**I'm your MUSE. Whenever you do something creative, I pop right back up**

Help. Me.

**And review!**


	2. Chapter I: Welcome

So my muse and I have been discussing...

**...And we've decided on six stories per year.**

Since we plan to go to year five, that means thirty stories, plus the prologue and epilogue, so that's...

**Thirty-two chapters total.**

OMG, IT DOES MATH! ...why can't you do my math homework?

**I'm your writing muse, not your math muse!**

I HAVE A MATH MUSE? TELL ME ALL YOU KNOW!

**Uh, enjoy the chapter! (Runs for life)**

And we don't own anything. (Runs after muse)

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter I: Welcome

Shadow and (the late) Maria's home was a lovely cottage outside the town. Not so close as to have neighbor's closer within eyesight, but close enough so Maria could drive to work each morning. When she died, Shadow thought about selling the large, memory-filled cottage and buying a smaller, one-bedroom apartment. Now, he was glad he didn't do that.

Turns out, legally adopting a child is hard work. Maria, as Shadow calls her, would stay at a nearby orphanage for a week while the ebony hedgehog prepared for her. The process would go like this; Shadow would become her legal guardian for a year, to prove he can take care of her, then go to court for several weeks so he could legally adopt her. Only then would he have the right to call the child his. And if the girl's real parent's were found... well, they'd better hope Shadow never finds them. Not only was it morally wrong to abandon a child to die; it was illegal! The police had tried searching the town, but, curiously enough, there were no foxes living in Emerald Hill...

When he got home, Shadow knew there was a lot of work to be done, but couldn't bring himself to do it. He had spent all afternoon being interviewed by a social worker about things that were apparently important in having a child around: his profession, his home, his income, every past relationship he had, and his experience with children. By the time it was over, he was biting his lip just to keep from attacking the insane lady. He also wondered if it was a test in patience.

The cottage itself was in decent shape; the kitchen was stocked, the rooms were neat and well-furnished, and the place was kept as clean as it could be (Hey, Shadow had a lot of free time on his hands). A kitchen, living room with a fireplace, a bathroom, and a spare bedroom. On the upstairs were two more bedroom (One room was where Shadow and Maria slept; the other was full of boxes and would have to be cleaned out), as well as a second bathroom. Overall, it was a nice, cozy house; the perfect size for a growing family.

He would not only need to clean out the room full of boxes, but paint it, decorate it, and make sure everything in it is 'baby-safe'. Cornelius had given him a book on child-care, and for some reason, he intended to make sure Maria was well taken care of. Perhaps it was because she reminded him of Maria; perhaps it was because he found her while praying for a sign. Perhaps he simply felt sorry for her. No matter what, the child was his now, and he would protect her to the letter.

In the meanwhile...

Shadow fell into bed without concern for the rest of the night; he was going to have a long week...

* * *

The first job that needed to be done was clearing out the room. It was about the size of Shadow's bedroom, but you looking at it, you would've said it was smaller. With chipped, faded yellow paint, and filled to the brim with boxes. Since Shadow always slept with Maria by his side, they really had no use for the second bedroom, and instead placed Professor Gerald's stuff in there from when he passed away, leaving all his belongings to Maria and her cousin, Ivo. Shadow had only met Ivo once, but he seemed to be the Professor's clone; almost every trait was the same, to the point of spookiness.

And so, the boxes had arrived, and had been moved right back here. Shadow would have to spend the day going through the boxes and determining what he wanted to keep and what he didn't. And the longer he kept the job waiting, the longer it was gonna take, so might as well start now!

So, three boxes at a time, Shadow emptied the room of it's bearings. By the time he was finished, the living room was crowded, and the room was empty. He had been surprised to discover the room had a balcony; the door was hidden near the side of the room, almost impossible to see without walking up to it. Well, it didn't matter. He'd simply have to gate that up until the girl was big enough to not fall off the edge. Simple enough solution.

Now, as for the boxes...

Shadow went downstairs, sat in the armchair near the fire, and picked up a nearby box. Crimson eyes softened as he found pictures of himself and Maria when they were younger, pictures of Maria and Ivo, taken shortly after the two had come to Earth (at the first and only time Shadow had met Ivo), pictures of Gerald throughout his life... random photos, really. And the entire box was full of them. Shadow took the five best pictures of himself, Maria, Gerald, and Ivo, and set them aside; he would get them framed tomorrow, when he went out for paint. The rest he put back in the box, to save for later.

This continued on. To Shadow's surprise, he found going through this stuff enjoyable, never knowing what was going to be in the next box. Sure, most of it was junk, and would have to be scrapped or sold, but there were a few boxes with items that held some purpose or interest. Shadow even discovered Maria's old nursery set, which could be used for the baby Maria once she arrived. It put a smile on Shadow's face. Even while dead, his friend would continue to touch his life.

The final box came and went. Shadow was mildly disappointed to find it was over. He took the unneeded cardboard and stuck it behind the trashcan in his kitchen, promising to get rid of it later. The rest of the boxes were taken to the basement Shadow had forgotten they had until he stumbled upon the door to it. One chore done, several more to go...

* * *

"Hello, may I help you?" Inquired an orange cat, working at a local store where Shadow was buying paint for Maria's room. Said hedgehog approached the counter, frowning at the woman. He never was one for public appearances, so being out like this -with other people- put him in something of a rotten mood. But he reassured himself it's just for a little while, and calmly told the cat:

"I'm going to need paint. About five gallons, and quick drying. Preferably in baby blue, daffodil, cream, or cherry blossom." Shadow looked the cashier right in the eyes, daring for a comment. The cat frowned, before leaving to find the appropriate paint. Though he didn't like this place, Shadow couldn't help but smirk. People are amusing when they're afraid.

Minutes later, the cat came back, carrying a bucket of cream colored paint. Shadow looked at the color; judging whether it was the right shade, would dry in time for him to decorate the room, and wondering whether or not little Maria would like it. Wait, she's an infant. She wouldn't care if the walls were white or cream. Well, that just makes it easier for Shadow, now doesn't it?

After leaving that store, he went to get a few more things (Framing the pictures he found, picking up some extra stuff for the baby that wasn't with Maria's nursery set, etc.) then headed home for to start the paining job, successfully coating the wall in primer. After that, he set to sleep on the couch, falling into dreams of his Maria.

* * *

The next day, Shadow coated the bedroom with a second coat, before beginning the decoration plans. The paint would be dry by the time he needed to come back in here, anyways. Shadow began assembling a crib, changing table, and other such items. This went along surprisingly quick, and Shadow was ready to move the stuff upstairs just as the paint finished drying. Positioning and decorating were the easy parts of the venture; now, it was just the wait.

The hedgehog looked at a calender. Three days until the baby would arrive. Then, this lonely house would be a home once again. With Maria living here, everything would be alright.

Nodding at his work on the child's room (Which looked so much better than when he started), Shadow went to get rest. An anxious feeling tugged at his heartstrings, and he somehow doubted he would get any sleep that night.

* * *

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Shadow paced the room, waiting for the knocking that would alert him his wait had come to an end. Finally, after all the waiting, the planning, the paperwork... tonight, he would see his baby for the first time since he rescued her. A warm tug pulled at his insides, a mixture of anxiety and excitement acting up inside him.

A knock sounded through the otherwise silent cottage. Shadow leapt to his feet, running to the door, then paused in front of it. Take a deep breath, Shadow, he told himself. Because everything will change once you open that door. He sighed.

A click sounded with the unlocking of the door, followed by a turn of the knob and a gentle creak. The door bushed open.

Shadow smiled, though he didn't really like... people. He just had to keep this up until she left. The social worker walked into the house, looking around, and taking notes. Shadow noticed something almost immediately.

"Where's Maria?"

The social worker looked at him, "Maria, as you call her, is in the car outside. I just have to do one mandatory check on the household, then I leave." And with that, she continued to nose around, nodding and taking notes on some things, before heading upstairs. She paused at Maria's room. "So, this is where you're gonna keep the kid?"

"Yup." Shadow wasn't a social person.

The woman nodded, taking several more notes, before walking out of the room, as Shadow followed. She continued down the stairs, across the house, and out the front door. The ebony hedgehog ran behind her. The two paused coming to her car, and she took out a small seat with a handle, handing it to Shadow. He peaked inside, an a small smile worked it's way onto his face. There was his baby, wrapped in several layers of blanketing, and sleeping soundly. That changed with the sound of a car door slamming, and said car speeding away. Young Maria woke up, crying.

Shadow sighed. Things could only get better from here...

* * *

**I Think I lost her... so yeah, review and- **

(Pounces out of nowhere) GOTCHA!

**Aw, come on! (Runs)**

Teehee, that is WAY too much fun. Can't be healthy. See you guys next chapter! (Chases)


	3. Chapter II: Stars

Hiya!

**Hey guys. Sorry about little Miss Lazy not writing anything...**

HEY! Well, one of the reviews stated that the two Maria's names mixing together are kinda confusing. That WILL be addressed in this chapter, don't worry.

**Well, do worry cause H.C's in charge.**

...Oh look, a pencil.

**What are you gonna do with-? AH! GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME! (Runs)**

...wimp. Oh, and we don't own anything. Meanwhile, I'll find my muse before he destroys anything...

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter II: Stars

"Wah! Wah!"

Crimson eyes cracked open, exhaustion evident in them. The child's cries echoed through the large cottage, making sleep impossible for the other resident. Shadow sighed, and lifted his feet off the bed and onto the floor to the side of it. Only half-asleep, he trudged the already familiar path to the room next door.

Maria had only been here for several days, and already she and Shadow were falling into routine. Early in the morning, she would wake up and cry for breakfast, which Shadow would provide. After breakfast, he would take her outside and rock her. Next was a diaper change (which Shadow found thoroughly disgusting) and her nap. When she woke up, she would cry for dinner, followed by another diaper change. Shadow would spend the evening just... talking to her. She would listen, not knowing what he was talking about, but finding interest in merely the sound of his voice. At the same time, the hedgehog would marvel at the way the young girl did, well, everything. From eating to sleeping, Shadow found it hard to keep his eyes off of her.

It was evident they were still getting used to each other, though. On the first day, Shadow had been surprised by her crying and thought someone had infiltrated his home. At the same time, the cub had been scared of Shadow when he barged into her bedroom. Though it had taken some time, the two were finally growing used to each other. But back to the present.

Dragging his feet along the carpet, the ebony hedgehog made his way to his new daughter's room, and pried open the door gently. The crying stopped as young Maria looked up at her pseudo father. Instead, it twisted into a grin that Shadow couldn't resist. Giving her a gentle smile of his own, he picked her up, asking her just what she needed, and she responded with a coo. Shadow took this as an 'I'm hungry, Daddy!', and took her downstairs to heat up her milk bottle. Once the bottle warmed up, he took it in his hand, and held it carefully at the girl's lips, so that no air could get it (something he had learned in one of the other Maria's old parenting books). Sighing with content, he took her outside.

Whenever little Maria had to eat, Shadow would sit on the porch outside while he fed her. It was slowly, but surely, became a tradition between them. The fox cub watched as her 'father' stared at the sky, and looked that way herself. Quite quickly, she became enamored with the stars, glowing brightly above her. As she did with her mobile, she reached up with her little paws, whining when she couldn't quite reach them. Shadow chuckled, taking the bottle from her mouth and putting her to his shoulder, patting her back lightly. After a while, he nestled her in the crook of his arm, allowing the youth to see the sky better. She stared up in innocent awe, which Shadow noticed.

"See those?" He asked her. "They're called stars. You can't reach them now, little one, but maybe one day you will." Little Maria giggled, reaching up again, though not for the stars this time. This time, she grabbed Shadow's nose, something that never ceased to amuse her. The hedgehog smiled, then frowned. Her light blue eyes glistened with intelligence, even at such a young age. She was, in so many ways, like his Maria... but at the same time, she was different. Calling her Maria implied he was replacing her. He wasn't; Little Maria would never replace the real Maria.

"You need a nickname," Shadow mumbled. Little Maria blinked.

Marie? No, that wouldn't do. May? Not May, Maria hated it when someone called her that. M? Much too short. Emy? No, just no.

He sighed. There was a lot more to this than he had originally thought. His gaze shifted to the kitsune, who was grabbing at a nearby plant. He should stop her, but she succeeded before he could. Instead of tearing the leaf off, though, she stroked it gently, a strange light on her eyes. As Shadow watched this unusual display a new name crossed his mind.

Maia... roman goddess of spring growth. It fit the young child perfectly. She was gentle, sweet, and never caused harm to any living being. "How do you like Maia?" He asked her. The young girl looked up at him, her small muzzle twisted in confusion, before smiling brightly. Toothless gums were visible past her grin. Shadow held her closely.

There, before the eyes of the hedgehog and his baby girl, a shooting star crossed. Maia's eyes widened at the marvelous sight, while Shadow watched with contained interest. The father daughter duo stared up at the sky, truly blessed.

If Maria was watching them, she must have been proud of Shadow.

* * *

...It was shorter than I wanted it to be (only about 1,000 words), and I ended up changing the chapter name.

**Do you still have that pencil?**

No...

**Good, then I won't need this (tosses baseball bat)**

…

**What?**

Never mind. Readers review. I'm gonna work on the next chapter and... other stuff.

**New stories?**

THAT'S IT! (takes out eraser)

**NAH! THAT'S EVEN WORSE THAN THE PENCIL! (runs)**

...bye.


	4. Chapter III: Paranoid

**I'm back!**

WHY? Oh well, at least I can write now. Well, for this chapter-

**Aren't you forgetting something?**

Oh yeah. Everyone, say hello to my friend/co-author/second muse, MIDNIGHT BELL! (wild applause)

_Hi ya! Apples are good with CHEESE!_

It took her five minutes to come up with that. We're two peas in a pod.

**God help me.**

_(Pops bubbles wrap) HEHEHEHE!_

Hey! MINE!

**...We don't own anything.**

NOT TRUE! I do own that bubble wrap.

_Aw, you know you're still young when bubble wrap gives you joy..._

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter III: Paranoid

As it turns out, babies go through a lot of food. And diapers. Shadow found himself going to the grocery store at least twice a week, for more of anything the baby might need. This irked the hedgehog, who never liked going out in public. However, the alternative was giving Maia up, something he would never do. So he put up with it, reminding himself it was all worth it.

This was one of those particular trips to the supermarket. Maia looked intently at everything (even though she had already been there), and Shadow was just grabbing the items he needed in intent to leave. Mothers, fathers, and pregnant women crowded the aisle, grabbing what they needed, and apologizing if they bumped into Shadow. One teenager 'accidentally' pushed over the cart, causing Maia to scream in fear. Shadow picked her up and checked her over.

Once he had determined Maia was alright, Shadow turned to the boy, "What the heck is wrong with you?"

"Sorry, Mister," the teen, a dioxin, apologized insincerely. He then gazed at Maia, who instinctively held onto Shadow's fur. "Cute kid," Shadow grunted in response, too busy checking Maia over to pay much attention to this strange teenager. "Too bad she ain't gonna live long."

Shadow picked up his head, ruby eyes burning with contained rage, "Is that a threat?" He held Maia close to his chest with one arm, the other taking an offensive stance. The boy held up both of his arms in a 'surrender' gesture, smiling nervously.

"Hey, hey, I wasn't threatening yer kid! I was just warnin' ya!" Two crimson eyes narrowed, focusing on the dog. It made him shiver with fear. "Didn't ya hear? The Woodpecker's kid, bout the age of yer kid, just died of SIDS. 'Sudden Infant Death Syndrome'. True story. Look," He pointed out a woodpecker couple sitting on a bench near the front of the store, the female of the pair crying her eyes out, the male meekly comforting her.

While staring, Shadow instinctively clutched Maia tighter to him. Neither seemed to notice the kid behind them snickering to himself. Nor did they notice him reaching for Shadow's bag. That is, so he thought. He thought otherwise when a hand snatched his wrist suddenly, completely out of the blue. The hedgehog sent him a sharp, angry glare, with rage contorting his face. The dioxin screeched, yanking his hand away (Shadow let him keep it), and running for the hills. _Stupid boy, _Shadow thought, putting Maia back in the cart.

But as the day past, Shadow found himself becoming more and more anxious. He found himself checking on Maia more often than normal, thinking she might be dead, then feeling foolish when she would just look up at him in childish curiosity. That kid might have been a thief, but he had been right about SIDS. Maria (the other one) had told him about how it had killed her younger brother. Neither of her parents really got over that death. And he knew he never would if Maia died.

So he spent the day worrying. And when it came time for her afternoon nap, it surprised him very little that he was reluctant to put her in her crib.

Instead, he tried to get her to fall asleep in his arms, as it would reduce the likeliness of Crib Death. But unfortunately for him, Maia was unable to get comfortable in his arms, and ended up crying until he finally gave up and put her into the cradle. There she laid, on her back, with her adopted father watching over her from above. Normally stern expressions were softened as he watched the young child rest, getting much needed sleep.

And then it happened.

The child coughed, a small, weak sound, but it still caught Shadow's attention. He leaned down, peering into the crib, noticing the girl hadn't woken up. For a moment he thought it was only his mind playing tricks on him, until he heard the little thing cough again. He didn't wait for a third cough; Shadow scooped the girl out of her crib and rushed her to the bathroom, wondering what on Earth was wrong with the kitsune. She didn't cough again; instead, she slept peacefully in his arms for a whole twenty minutes until she woke up. When she did wake up, she seemed to glare at him for moving her from her comfortable bedside, before whining in hunger.

Shadow chuckled, picking her up and taking her to the kitchen to fix her a bottle. While it heated up, the kit leaned against his chest, seemingly listening intently to his heartbeat. It made him smile to feel the baby pulse changing to match his own calm heartbeat. With the beeping of the microwave, Shadow took the warmed bottle, tested it on his own skin, and fed it to the child, relishing in how much she ate (er, drank) for such a little tyke.

Just another thing about being a father he hadn't known.

* * *

..It's way past midnight.

_Where's your muse?_

**ZZZ...**

…

…

Review, and we'd better get some shut-eye.

_Yeah, right!_

Shut it! (wacks with pillow)

_Why'd you do that?_

So I can put it in the story!

_;p_

Night!


	5. Chapter IV: Learning

Yo! It's me again. So I've been thinking...

**OH MY GOD! IT'S THE APOLOCALYPSE!**

...I wanted to explain my AU. By the way, I'm going to make you eat mustard for that.

**NOT MUSTARD!**

The only thing we have in common? We both hate mustard.

**So explain.**

Okay. In this universe, GUN never invaded Ark. Shadow and Maria lived a fairly peaceful life on Earth (minus Shadow's missions) until Maria died. Eggman never became evil, is still called Robotnik and (on request from Midnight Bell) never became fat.

**Okay, NOW the apocalypse is coming. (Runs around screaming)**

(Throws water on muse) by the way, we don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. Only this AU. By the way, mustard time. (Pulls out bottle of mustard)

**CURSE YOU UNIVERSE!**

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter IV: Learning

Raising Maia was a learning experience, for both of them.

On one particular day, Shadow decided it was high time for the girl to learn to talk. Not so complicated, right? She was already crawling around, getting into everything she could reach with her tiny little paws. More than once Shadow had to move things into the basement to prevent them from falling into Maia's grasp. Who knew the girl could move the coffee table and cushions on the couch to assist her in climbing onto the fireplace mantel?

After breakfast, Maia was set onto the floor of the living room. Thinking she was free, she tried to crawl away, but was held back by her father. The child whined, not wanting to be held back. Shadow shushed her gently, calming the child, then began to speak. What he said really didn't matter, so long as she took it into her little mind.

While her father talked to her, and sometimes expected to be talked back to, Maia stared up at him. The series of sounds formed a pattern, she could tell, but it seemed much more interesting to move around than to just sit there and listen to daddy ramble on. Waiting until he seemed to not paying attention, she crawled away, underneath the couch alongside an old toy and daddy's keys. How long would it take him to notice she's gone?

Almost five seconds after she climbed under the couch, Shadow peeked down and noticed he was one twin-tailed fox cub short. He didn't panic; she was ten months, bored, and has the ability to crawl. Of course she would crawl off. All the doors were locked, so she couldn't have gotten out of the room. And the last time she did this, she just crawled under the couch. No need to repeat that panic attack.

Creeping around, he called out to her, "Maia? Come here, little lady." He knew where she was, but still, he had to play her game. Otherwise, she gets really fussy. This, he figured out the hard way last time. A small, barely audible giggle brought his attention to the couch, and he wandered over. "Hmm, I wonder where that little lady could be...?"

Maia giggled again, covering her mouth with her paw as if trying to be discreet. She didn't notice Shadow's hands reaching out to grab her until they were pulling her out. She squealed, as only a young child could, and laughed as Shadow twirled her around. The hedgehog gave her a rare smile and set her down.

"Now Maia," He said playfully, "I want you to repeat after me. Say, 'Dad'." For some reason, he wasn't remotely surprised when she didn't respond. "Say, 'Dad'."

"Gabagoo." She cooed. The hedgehog couldn't help but chuckle. She was just that cute.

"No sweetie, 'Dad'," She just wasn't getting it. The hedgehog sighed, just about done with this little language lesson. Maia stared up at him innocently, having no idea why her father was so frustrated.

The day went on like this, and around lunchtime Shadow gave up on the language lesson. Instead, he allowed her to play on the ground. She seemed to enjoy airplanes and trucks the most (which he found odd), but would sometimes play with dolls and building blocks, too. Occasionally he would also hear the sound of a ball bouncing. His attention then shifted to her meal. Some time ago, she had moved from milk to regular baby food, and seemed to prefer juice over regular formula.

For Shadow, this was a positive change; he didn't have to put the effort into heating the baby food that was required for the formula bottle. A cooing from his feet brought his attention to little Maia, and the child found herself lifted onto the high chair.

Both knew Maia wasn't ordinary; and not just because of her two tails. At her age, she seemed to possess more intelligence than any other baby Shadow had met. Her escapade with the coffee table had only been one example. Sometimes she would use this against Shadow; other times she'd use this to let him know something.

Today wasn't an exception. When the food entered Maia's mouth, she waited until Shadow had turned, then spat it back out on her plate. It wasn't cooked all the way. Anxious whining was her chosen method for getting her father's attention, and it worked; when Shadow turned around, she threw the food so that it would end up all over his lips. With his mouth parted to ask Maia what was wrong, he unknowingly swallowed some. After a moment of choking, he realized it wasn't cooked all the way through and took it away from Maia, without a scolding or anything. The girl smiled; another victory!

As for Shadow, he cleaned off his face and focused on the food. Of course Maia would throw it at him; she'd thrown other things at him. What was so different about food?

After the lunch fiasco, naptime came. Something Shadow found himself looking forward to as much as dreading. He loved spending time with her; he just needed some time for himself. Eventually, she would go to school and he would be alone several hours away. Then what?

He didn't focus on that.

Laying the girl down in her cradle, he pecked her forehead, muttering, "Good night, my dear," under his breath. The child cooed, before turning on her side. Almost instinctively, one of her tails found it's way under her head as a make-shift pillow. That, Shadow decided, would probably become a sleeping habit.

He turned and left, making sure to hit the lights on his way out. As he passed through the door frame, he heard a small voice faintly whisper, "Good night, daddy,". No doubts, it was coming from behind him.

Shadow paused a little bit, then smiled. One day, his daughter was going to do something great. He could feel it.

* * *

**AHH... the mustard...**

Ignore the mentally scarred muse. Midnight Bell, I'm finally done with the chapter. Hold the applause.

**AHH! Oh, and review. AHH!**

What am I gonna do with you?


	6. Chapter V: Sick Day

Well, here we go, Chapter V!

**Sorry, Midnight Bell, but we got the numbers wrong. **

Math Muse is on vacation. He does that every summer... apparently.

**Why do you think you never do math in the summer?**

True. DISCLAIMER! Sonic and Co. do not belong to me.

**Well, lets go get food.**

I want a soda, but sure.

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter V: Sick Day

It took a while, but Shadow and Maia fell into a routine.

The day started out with Maia awakening, discovering she was hungry, and crying for Shadow. Shadow would wake up, make her breakfast, and calm her down before allowing her to eat. After breakfast, the day became a learning experience; Maia would learn about whatever Shadow cared to teach her that day, and was laid down for her afternoon nap. When she woke up, Shadow would feed her and they would spend the evening on the porch, just looking at the stars until she fell asleep. Then, Shadow would tuck her in, and fall asleep in his own bed.

Yup, a regular routine. Of course, all routines are broken eventually.

This morning, when Shadow woke up, he found himself surprised; Maia never let him sleep in. Overcome with concern for the youth, he ran to her room. Inside her crib, the child writhed in discomfort. Shadow felt her forehead.

"You're running a fever," He muttered. Not fully awake, Maia continued to toss and turn in his grasp. She whined, tired and overheated from fighting the fever. Shadow took her downstairs. When Maria got sick, she would have him place a cold washcloth on her forehead to bring the fever down.

Setting the child on the couch, Shadow ran into the kitchen, suddenly full of adrenaline. He didn't want to leave her alone for too long. Rinsing a clean washcloth with cool water, he ran back and placed it on the squirming baby's forehead. She stopped squirming, but her face was still contorted with discomfort.

Shadow sighed; he hated seeing his daughter in such a state. What's worse, he couldn't do anything to help her. Just keep her cool and hope she'll recover fast.

A coughing fit interrupted his thoughts. Maia convulsed as she violently forced air out of her system. Shadow, in a panic, picked her up, placed her on his shoulder, and patted her gently, to help get the air out.

She suddenly relaxed, and Shadow felt something lukewarm and clumpy slowly drip down his back. Sighing, he put Maia down on a blanket on the floor, and retreated to the nearest bathroom. The ebony hedgehog quickly scrubbed the vomit out of his back fir, and returned to the room.

Maia was asleep.

Despite his worry, Shadow couldn't help but grin. The child laid quietly on the blanket, sleeping off her illness and occasionally turning in her sleep. She was cute; one tail curled under her head in a fashion much like a blanket. Her head fur, growing longer each day, draped over her shoulders and head. She laid, in complete bliss to the world around her. Shadow picked her up.

He carried the girl to the bedroom at the top of the steps. Maia snuggled into his fur, making Shadow smile gently. Opening the door slowly, as so it wouldn't creak, he entered the room and carefully set her in the crib.

The rest of the day was spent in Maia's room. When she awoke, tired and hungry, he would feed her, only to find her fast asleep as soon as she finished. While she slept, Shadow read books, wrote letters, did research... the kind of things one put off unless incredibly bored.

That night, Shadow slept in Maia's room. He brought a blanket and pillow in, and slept on the floor. Just above him, he could here Maia's gentle breathing. The sound becoming a lullaby, he found himself dosing off to the sound of his daughter sleeping.

The next day, Maia woke up hungry as usual. Shadow woke up, startled, then remembered yesterday. The first thing he did that morning was check her temperature.

Her fever had broke sometime during the night.

Pleased that his daughter was okay now, Shadow picked her up to carry on their daily routine. Sure, changing pace was a good idea once in a while, but not if it caused him a heart attack like that. He had never been so worried before. It just goes to show you; you can't take for granted what you have.

And as he watched the cub eat, he knew that lesson to be true. This was one blessing he would never turn away.

* * *

**What's with you and the fluff bug?**

I don't know! All I know is; it's hot! I'm burning up!

**THAT can't be helped. Now get some shut eye; this thing needs to be posted in the morning.**

Yes, almighty muse of muse-ness. I will obey your command of stupidity.

**For once, I'm missing the annoying distraction.**


	7. Chapter VI: First

Alright, chapter six!

**You seem happy.**

Why wouldn't I be? I LOVE PIZZA!

**Oh. Note to self: NEVER arrive on a night where HC has had pizza.**

Also, this is a BIRTHDAY CHAPTER!

**Oh yeah. Every fifth chapter, Maia will get one year older. Well, except for-**

NO SPOILERS! We don't own anything.

**Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter VI: First

It SEEMED like a regular day. Shadow woke up to the sound of Maia crying out for her father, as usual, and carried her downstairs for breakfast. While waiting for her food to heat up, he happened to glance at the calender, and saw the date. One year ago, today, he had found little Maia crying in the forest grove, with no parents in sight.

_Has it been that long already?_ Shadow wondered. He then recalled a tradition Maria -the first Maria- had introduced to the household. Something called 'birthdays'. Maria certainly had taken a lot of time and care with these. She planned Shadow's and her own every year, much to the ebony hedgehog's chagrin. Though having never seen the point of these birthdays, he put up with it for Maria's sake.

But for some reason, the word kept playing again and again in his mind as he watched Maia eat. _Birthday_. The day of one's birth. For her, was that today? He really had no way of knowing; the child could have been days or hours old when he found her. There was really know way of knowing. Or at least, anyway he was aware of.

Still, Maria had seemed happiest on the day of her birth. She would have all sorts of her friends over for dinner and maybe games or a movie. They would all bring her gifts. Shadow would stay in his room, not coming out until the end of the party. On his birthday, Maria would give him a gift and do nice things for him all day. Though baffled, he accepted it as a human tradition and got her a gift on her own birthday.

Was today his daughter's birthday? Well, it might as well had been. Knowing this tradition was practiced by Mobians as well as humans, Shadow decided that today, he would celebrate Maia's birthday. Only problem; he had no idea how to throw a birthday party.

Taking hold of Maia, he sped off. The two arrived at the local grocery store in mere seconds. Not a personal record, but impressive compared to the others in this town. Upon arrival, the grocer greeted him with the familiarity of a friend. Though Shadow didn't see it this way, as he was certain he was only kind because of the kit within his grasp.

"Another glorious day, eh Shadow?" He asked. Shadow nodded in response. The conversations between the two were usually one-sided, minus the occasional question or comment about the food. "So, what can I do for you this fine morning?"

Shadow sighed. This was the only person he could ask; the others either wouldn't answer or mock him. "What do you know about birthdays?"

The grocer blinked. "Wait, is it little Mai's birthday?" Another thing he disliked about his 'friend'; he insisted on calling his daughter little Mai instead of Maria or Maia, like everyone else. The grocer then proceeded to coo Maia, tickling her chin. "Is it your birthday, little one?"

"Mu birday!" She cried, as an infant not able to produce many coherent words yet. The Grocer chuckled, ruffling her head fur has he'd probably done to many a babies.

Even the cold-hearted Shadow couldn't manage to stay annoyed with the young kitsune. He picked the girl up, smiling ever so slightly as she laughed in her father's hold. "Looks like you've got a natural way with children, Shadow." Said hedgehog's cold glare returned, glancing at the Grocer. "She's young; she won't remember this. Still, every father has the urge to make his child's first birthday something special, if not for the kid then for themselves. I should know." The Grocer glanced at a framed picture on the corner of his word surface; himself, a female, and three children stood in the foreground, waving at the camera.

Shadow nodded, looking at the picture himself. Then turning to the Grocer, he inquired, "What would one need to celebrate a birthday?" It was obvious from his expression that he didn't want the help he was asking for.

"Well," The Grocer began, "The most traditional way of celebrating is a party... but, knowing how you are about those, you should just buy a small cake, a present, and have a picnic or something." Shadow nodded. Ten minutes later, he walked out of the store with Maia sitting on his shoulders, and a basket of food: a small cake to split in half, a sandwich and soda for Shadow, and some soft foods Maia could chew.

At the local park, only a short walk away from Shadow and Maria's home, the hedgehog sat them down on the ground, laying out a blanket he'd brought from home. After gently setting Maia down on it, he distributed their food. Maia, as usual, gobbled her's down and started to play with the plate they came on, mostly out of boredom. Shadow observed while eating his own sandwich.

After they finished, Shadow took the cake and cut it in half. Giving one half to the delighted child, he took the other half and began eating. Butterscotch icing was better when Maria made it from scratch, he decided, but Maia, knowing no other type, ate it with little opinion on how it should taste.

Once done, Shadow took Maia to the bridge, his favorite area in the park. It wasn't a long walk, but what usually stopped people from coming was the fact that it was a climb. From the bridge, one could see the rest of the park, the pond to the jungle gym. It was domed and looked over a hill with lots of trees. From the top, Maia squealed, obviously loving the increased altitude.

Over looking the park, beautiful with the colors of fall, Shadow smiled at his infantile daughter. "Happy Birthday, Maia." he whispered.

She didn't look up, too enamored with the sights of the park; excited by the increased height. Shadow gave her a small smile, and picked her up, putting her on his shoulders to carry her home.

* * *

Okay, that was...

**Short. I thought you were going to make an effort to make your chapters longer.**

I will! ...Next chapter.

**Uh, you little- (sighs) review please.**

And don't worry; I'll update soon. Now, how about some ice cream to cheer you up?

**It's three something in the morning...**

Fine then, we'll get waffles (glances at audience) oh... you're still here... uh, well, bye!

**Sorry, she's camera shy. See ya later!**


	8. Chapter VII: Steps

Hi!

_It's me again!_

**You act as if you weren't there all the other times.**

… _If I didn't just wake up I'd punch you in the face._

Stop fighting guys!

_(Hits muse in the arm) Like that ever works. I've tried it on you and your sister._

**We don't own anything, until I sue you for everything you got!**

_HAH! Yu fummy_

Ugh! You two are impossible! The only reason I put up with you is for the reviews! Which I expect everyone to do said activity.

**And no flames! Midnight Bell is Bound to set a fire with them!**

_It's true!_

Enjoy!

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter VII: Steps

With the transition to one year old, came new challenges. Specifically, the challenge of walking. Shadow, who was artificially created, and programed with the knowledge most people need to learn from older persons, found teaching specific skills difficult. He had little patience and never knew how to calm her down when Maia got frustrated and started crying.

Still, success had it's rewards. Even Shadow had to acknowledge that almost overwhelming feeling of pride surging through him when Maia learned something new. When the young Maia had learned to speak, Shadow found himself thrilled to no limits. He spent every spare moment showing her new things, teaching her new words, and was delighted when she repeated them back.

Some memories, however, were not so pleasant. Shadow learned this the hard way; soon after her birthday...

The day was a fairly normal one. It was three in the afternoon, and Maia was sitting in the living room with her father, him reading a newspaper while she watched. After a few moments, she picked up a nearby toy Shadow had picked up for her and threw it without hesitation. It flew over the newspaper, hitting Shadow in the head.

He frowned at her. "Maia, what have I said about throwing things?"

Maia just smiled at her father, as though nothing had happened. "Food now." She commanded. Shadow sighed, knowing she would try again and again until she got what she wished. He picked her up, carrying her into the kitchen. But when he went to the cupboard to get the ingredients for the food, he was surprised to find they were out.

Shadow pursed his lips. "Hmm... I could've sworn we had more than that. MAIA! We're going to the super-market. Any objections?" The young kit shook her head. And so they were off.

After arriving at the market, Shadow laid Maia down on the floor while searching for her favorite foods. The young girl watched her father for a moment, before becoming bored. Something in the nearby toy isle caught her eye, and she crawled away from her father. Almost immediately, she decided that crawling was too slow, and got up onto her feet, toddling away. In the toy isle, she sat back down, admiring the toy cars and balls on the lower shelves.

Meanwhile, Shadow, still in the food isle, turned around to find the young girl was no longer on the floor where he set her. Panic swept in, and he sped through the food isles, trying to see if she crawled away. When he failed to find her, he started to panic. And by panic, I mean freak out. He swept through the rest of the store isles with speed, not seeing her once. Back in the toy isle, Maia spotted a toy car near the back of the shelf and climbed in to get it, completely missing her father running by looking for her.

The Hedgehog growled angrily. Maia was no where to be found. That must mean... someone here had something to do with her kidnapping. Walking calmly -too calmly- to the front of the store, he pushed a large pile of crates full of fruit in front of the door, preventing anyone from leaving. Everybody stared as the hedgehog climbed onto the counter. His eyes questioned anyone to challenge him as he spoke.

"SOMEONE here decided it was a good idea to kidnap my daughter... WHO? WHO IS THE BASTARD THAT KIDNAPPED MY BABY GIRL?" Rage poured out as Shadow spoke. To rid himself of that rage, he threw the nearest thing... which happened to be a cash register. It flew across the large store, landing near the back of it. People, mostly in fear, backed away from the possibly homicidal hedgehog.

An hour later, the store was in utter chaos. No one bothered calling for help. Shadow had made sure of that. All the people huddled together in the center isle, while Shadow patrolled the store like a guard. His expression appeared void of emotion, but he seemed to assume anyone trying to get away must be a kidnapper. So, while resilient, he was also terrifying. Nobody dared crossing him.

"Please," Someone in the party begged. "If one of you is the kidnapper, PLEASE speak up!" Her voice quivered with fear and panic. "PLEASE! I can't stay here forever! I'll go mad!" She broke into sobs, one of the others comforting her.

Another creature spoke. "Wait, kidnapped who?"

"That hedgehog's daughter. He may seem emotionless, but he could blow up over that girl."

"Wait," The man asked. "Is she a fox? About a year in age? Two tailed?" The people nodded, but the man soon found himself staring into the cold, red eyes of the one holding up the store.

"Where. Is. She?" He asked, his eyes piercing through the man. He shivered, trying not to look scared, and failing miserably. Then again, he could understand. If someone had kidnapped his little girl, he'd be pretty mad, too.

So, he swallowed his fears. "She was crawling around in the toy isle. You must have missed her." The man found himself dropped to the floor as Shadow sped over to the toy section. There she was, playing with a toy airplane. Upon looking up, she spotted her father heading towards her and clapped, delighted. "Dada!" Maia stood slowly, toddling towards him as he ran forward.

As Shadow embraced his daughter, he felt his heart leap. Relief poured over him. He had been genuinely afraid for her. The fear had eaten right through him. He cracked, though he would never admit it after this day was over. A sudden realization swept over him.

"Maia, you took your first steps!" Shadow was overjoyed. He picked up the girl, heading towards the blocked off doors. With a sweep of his hand, they flew off in different directions, leaving the store in a state of chaos. Shadow didn't even look towards his former captives as he walked away from the scene. One thing was for certain, he would never bring Maia to the market again.

Meanwhile, back in the market, the people who had been captives looked straight at each other. Suddenly one of them spoke, voicing all of their opinions. "If someone ever actually DOES kidnap Shadow's kid, let's agree to rat them out immediately."

Needless to say, everyone agreed.

* * *

Not as long as I'd have liked.

**Not even close.**

_Umm... what am I still doing here?_

I need someone to yell at Muse while I write this.

**HEY!**

_You guys are crazy... I love it!_

Yeah... okay... READ!

**REVIEW!**

_And stick your carrots in frosting!...what?_

...nothing.


	9. Chapter VIII: Disobedience

WAH!

**What's up with you?**

SCHOOL! I got WEEKEND HOMEWORK! And I've been so overwhelmed, I haven't written anything since my last post!

**Oh, you poor thing! Hot Chocolate?**

No time! Must. Write. Chapter.

**I hate when she gets like this... **

Must. Kill. Ing.

**Oh yeah. She's been playing Metroid, too. Apparently, it's a good stress reliever.**

That's because you can blow things up. I wanna blow something up!

**Write the chapter first. **

Alright... hey, are we forgetting something?

**Besides the disclaimer which tells them what they already know? Nah...**

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter VIII: Disobedience

Having a small girl around the house changed things more than Shadow realized.

Now that she was able to walk, young Maia could get into things that were before just barely out of her reach. It didn't help that she was rather clever, and quickly figured out how to move boxes and chairs to her advantage. It became rather common for Shadow to find pictures previously hanging on the wall or ornaments that had once been on the fireplace mantel to show up in random locations, like under the couch.

What also increased was the frequency of the times he would loose track of Maia. Instead of her being confined to areas on the ground, she could now climb up to tables, beds, and once in a while, get outside on her own.

She was at the age where discipline needed to be applied, Shadow realized, or she'd become a spoiled brat who was impossible to control. It was hard to say no to that cute little face, but he managed to put up a strong front and stand his ground. Most times, it was enough. However...

There were times when she was especially persistent.

Like today, for example.

"But daaddyy!" The kit whined, trying her hardest to look especially cute. Her eyes shown with unshed tears, something he was shocked to realize she could control, and her lip quivered in an adorable pout. Her ultimate secret weapon.

Shadow didn't meet her eye, something he learned helped, and shook his head. "No Maia, you can't have any hard candy."

It had been a gift from one of the neighbors. Shadow had been walking through the park with Maia, something he did quite often, when they heard a scream. A child about Maia's age had fallen down the gorge. To be truthful, Shadow didn't care much about the boy, but he discovered that, along with her natural mischievous nature, Maia had an acute sense of justice. She guilted him into saving the boy, earning the thanks of his mother and a bag of hard candy.

Maia had been bugging him for a piece ever since he poured it into a bowl and set it on the counter.

"PWEASE?" She begged with a cute face.

Shadow shook his head. "No means no, Maia." Though it was troublesome, he was slowly becoming immune to her childish charms. It helped that he had heard stories of children choking on those little pieces of mint.

The girl pouted a little more, but finally did what she was told. Shadow relaxed for a moment, heading into the living room to wind down after that little argument. Once he was gone, Maia's upset pout turned to a mischievous smirk. Now, to move that chair...

Shadow had been relaxing in the living room for all of two minutes when he heard a screeching sound coming from the kitchen. It took another ten seconds for him to remember Maia's habit of getting into things she ought not to. He cursed running for the kitchen.

Maia climbed onto the wooden chair, being careful not to be seen by her father. Shadow didn't eat candy; he wouldn't notice if a piece or two were missing. He probably wouldn't notice if the whole bowl were gone. With those thoughts, she picked up the bowl, set it on her lap, and started unwrapping a piece.

"MARIA!"

The shout shocked her. Maia jumped, the bowl of hard candy on her lap falling to the floor. Each piece bounced off the linoleum, the glass bowl smashing with a loud crash. Maia, with her super-sensitive fox ears, screamed at the sound, curling up like she did when she was scared; her arms wrapped around her legs and her tails wrapped around her whole body protectively. Shadow ran to her side, ignoring the broken glass for a moment, and inspected her.

"Hmm..." He looked her over carefully, but it took a while for her to get comfortable enough to uncurl. "It doesn't look like you're hurt..."

Maia's eyes were red from her silent crying, and upon hearing this burst into tears. "I'm sorry, daddy! I'm sorry!" Despite the disaster, he couldn't help but smile.

"The important thing is that you're alright. But you have to follow my rules from now on, okay?"

"Okay..." She sniffled.

Some time later, all the glass and candy had been cleaned up. Shadow and Maia, still sniffling, were sitting in the living room. Maia's head rested on her father's lap, though he knew she wasn't asleep. She just laid there, her breathing steady, her eyes still red from earlier.

"Well, that had been quite a scare," He mumbled, gazing upon the sleeping child. Shadow shivered, remembering the way she screamed, "Let's hope nothing like THAT ever happens again..."

* * *

MUAHAHAHAHAHA! DIE! DIE YOU STUPID ING!

**Guess I gotta say sorry. Man, is she stressed...**

HEY! How many people thought she was gonna choke? I got ya there, didn't I?

**Yes, it was truly the most epic of all plot twists...**

…

**What?**

Sarcasm doesn't really suit Charmy...

**I'm your MUSE. Not Charmy. Ya gotta remember that. **

Sorry, it's just... you act so much like him...

**Okay... Oh! An apology for the wait. Hope this made up for it.**

Hopefully. Reduce, reuse, recycle!

**I think you mean, Relax, read, and review.**

Whatever.


	10. Chapter IX: Autumn

_HEY GUYS! I'm BACK!_

**Oh, it's the distraction.**

Uh, you really shouldn't...

**What, insult the creepy weirdo? It's true, and you know it.**

_HEIYAH!_

**Ow! Ow! Ow!**

She's learned Tae Kwan Do.

_You can't mess with me anymore, Lazy!_

**…**

You knocked him out... now you have to take his place...

_Okay! Getting writing, Missy!_

...what have I gotten myself into?

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter IX: Autumn

A cool breeze fell through the bedroom. Shadow groaned, turning in his sleep, his eyes opening partially. Had he left the window open last night? No, he'd never be that careless. So why was his room so cold?

A small giggle answered his question.

"Maia," He moaned, turning so his head was buried into his pillow, "It's early; at most five-thirty in the morning," A thought came to him. He turned around a stared questioningly at the giggling girl, "How'd you even get in here? Both our doors were locked."

The small child answered his questions by cryptically tapping the top of her head with right pointer finger. Shadow rolled his eyes in response. As she grew older, she also began proving how intelligent she truly was. Picking locked doors was one of her more recent talents. Shadow would have to find other ways to keep her in her room now.

"You're probably hungry," He noted. She nodded, rubbing her stomach with her left paw, "Alright, what do you want for breakfast?"

"Pancakes!" Shadow laughed, placing Maia on his shoulders. They continued down the stairwell to the kitchen this way. Maia held onto the quills on her father's head, grinning. Shadow just ignored the feeling of his quills being pulled as he made his way to the refrigerator.

Forty minutes, and four pancakes later, the duo sat around the kitchen, talking about nothing in particular. Shadow glanced out the window and winced. Every year Maria and himself would rake up the leaves in the yard and toss them out. This year, he'd have to do it on his own. What would he do with Maia while he cleaned up their yard?

Two blue irises glistened as they stared out the same window, "Daddy, can we go outside?"

"Uh, sure," Shadow blinked. Then shrugged it off. While she played, he could do his chores. He just hoped she wouldn't wander off again. He was still hoping no one would sue him for that last time.

Later, Shadow was raking leaves in the front of the house. Not because he minded how it looked or how others thought of it, but because it got in the way of other stuff. That, and Maria insisted they rake up the leaves every year for some purpose Shadow wasn't quite sure of. She seemed to enjoy yard work, for whatever reason.

Meanwhile, his daughter took a different liking to the outside. She laughed as she ran around in the coat her father got her. It seemed too big, but she didn't mind that. The leaves on the ground made it hard to move around, even in her special boots. A glance over to where her father was standing revealed a pile of multiple leaves varying of bright oranges, crisp reds, and deep browns. She smirked suddenly, as she always did when she got an idea into her head.

Shadow smiled softly as he leaned against the rake. There, that was the last of them. He was done. Now, he'd need a bag to put it all in. He went inside to get one, completely forgetting about the little girl watching curiously just outside.

Maia smirked as her father left. She didn't mind being left alone once in a while; she got to do more things that way. With Shadow inside, she ran forward as fast as he tiny little legs could carry her, and jumped into the multicolored leaf pile. Some leaves flew up into the air, though most of the pile simply flattened. She laughed and spread her arms and legs outward, as though making a snow angel.

Shadow stepped outside, and the first thing he noticed was the multiple leaves floating slowly downwards. The second thing he noticed was his daughter lying on top of his leaf pile instead of doing whatever it was she had been doing. He sighed, wondering why he had left the young girl alone for even a moment. Shadow walked towards the pile to pick her up.

A small hand grabbed his, and before he could resist, Shadow was pulled into the leaf pile along with Maia. She giggled, amused, as her father poked his head out of the pile, "Very funny," He huffed, and picked himself out of the pile. Multiple leaves stuck to his quills, which he had to pull out one at a time. Something Maia found hysterical.

"Hey, Shadow!" The hedgehog picked the last of the leaves off himself as he looked towards the seemingly only one in town unafraid of him, the grocer from the local market, "How ya been, buddy?"

The hedgehog sneered in response.

"Well, that's good," The grocer replied. He then turned to Maia, "Hey little Mai! How's my favorite kitsune?" He either ignored or didn't notice the death glares Shadow was sending him. As did Maia, for she giggled and pulled a little on his hair. He winced, causing Shadow to smirk. Once he got his hair back, the grocer looked to Shadow, "You two going to the town hayride this year? Did you even remember we had one?"

Oh, did Shadow remember. Stuffed on an unsafe, medium-sized trailer loaded with hay as a poor excuse for seating, sitting next to people he didn't really like. Not to mention the safety factor. He had gone one year with Maria, and refused to go back. The local hayride was something he hated with a passion.

"Yeah, about that..." He was cut off by a childish squeal.

"I wanna go! I wanna go!" Maia cried, jumping up and down. Shadow scowled, then turned away so his daughter wouldn't see it. The grocer laughed nervously.

"Ya know, if you want, I could always take her-"

"NO. I'll take her," Shadow realized a full thirty seconds later what he just said. The grocer shrugged and walked away. Maia squealed and hugged her father, thanking him over and over again. Then she left to go jump in the other leaf piles.

And so that is how he, Shadow the Hedgehog, got there, cramped up on a trailer with a load of other people who were frightened by him, with an adorable little girl in his lap. She smiled as the ride began, the tractor towing them through the corn fields not that far outside of town. Crops had just come in and, after everything had been done, the farmers held this festival every year. Apparently, it brought in more money for next year's crops.

The trailer bumped up and down. On his lap, Maia bounced with it. She'd always seemed light, but to bounce whenever the trailer so much as hit a small bump? That astounded most people. They stared at the family and watched cautiously.

"What?" Shadow retorted, "Haven't you ever seen a hedgehog and his daughter before?"

So they left it at that. Nobody bugged them, and in return Shadow didn't interrupt or gag when they started singing show-tunes and eighty's rock. Maia didn't know any of the songs, so she just bopped her head to the rhythm.

The ride ended quickly enough. Shadow took Maia and placed her on his back, when they were interrupted by a cry, "Wait, Shadow!" The grocer ran up to them, "Aren't you gonna stay for the bonfire?"

Shadow glanced to the side, towards him. He didn't even attempt to look interested, "No thank you."

He sped off to his house, with Maia riding on his back as she was accustomed to. The grocer watched, thinking about what an odd pair the two were, before rejoining the others at the bonfire.

* * *

Wake up... WAKE UP!

**WOAH! What'd I miss?**

Midnight Bell just forced me to write this entire chapter! Ow, my wrists hurt...

_C'mon, slacker, I want the next chapter by- Oh! You're up..._

**Yup. Now get lost, sugar. This is my show! (Tennis Racket materializes out of nowhere)**

_Oh my gosh! (Runs screaming)_

So... how long before she comes back to kill you?

**Knowing her... not too long. In fact, I'll probably be dead before the next update.**

NO! Hurry, people, send me reviews! I can shield my muse with them!

**Or, ya know, let me die at the hands of the psycho.**

_Here's... MB! (Holds up baseball bat)_

**AHHH! (Runs)**

(Sigh)


	11. Chapter X: Fear

Oh my gosh... I've made it to Chapter 10!

**Yeah! This calls for a celebration!**

No, I'm not eating a whole container of frosting again... I had the worst stomach ache for days...

**Okay, how about we make a whole batch of cookie dough, and-**

No. I threw up, remember?

**Oh yeah. Well, what about the annoying distraction?**

She's still mad about the whole tennis racket incident. I'd get a shield if I were you.

**Yikes. Hey, shouldn't someone say the disclaimer?**

Shouldn't we NOT be babbling on about things that make me sick?

**Touche. We don't own Sonic the Hedgehog.**

Technically, he's not even in this, but you know what we mean.

**Oh, I got it! How about-**

No. Just no.

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter X: Fear

Midnight was not a pleasant time for Shadow. Usually he was either sleeping or on a mission -for which he slept beforehand- at this time. Even Maia waking him up in the middle of the night with her screams for food when she was younger couldn't fully rouse him; he was half-asleep as he fed her the bottle of warmed milk.

Which was why the small creaking of the door annoyed immensely. Half-asleep, he barely remembered that the only people living here were himself and Maia. In annoyance, he called, "What? Whataya want?"

"D-daddy?" Maia whispered, "Are you awake?"

"Now I am," He muttered into his pillow.

She opened the shades, frowning at the dark clouds gathering, "Daddy, it's gonna rain! It's gonna rain and thunder!"

So tired was he, Shadow missed the high pitched decimal of her voice as Maia had said 'thunder'. He groaned, "Maia, go back to sleep. It's-" He glanced at the clock, "Twelve o' five."

"But-"

"No buts, Maia. Go to bed. Now," She sighed, but went back to her room as Shadow had requested. The hedgehog closed his eyes, but sleep didn't come back to him. He groaned. So much for getting a good night's sleep...

Three minutes later, Maia's prediction had come true. Thunder and lightning clashed in the skies, and rain poured down on the roof of the old house. Shadow groaned and turned over, burying his face into his pillow.

A slight whimper from the next room made his ear perk up.

Shadow lifted his head up, straining to hear. The small whimpering didn't sound pained... but you never know. Shadow, a little reluctantly, got up and walked, with his feet dragging, to the room next door. He knocked on the door.

"Maia?" No response, "Maia, it's me. Can I come in?" When there was again no response, Shadow began to grow worried, "That's it, I'm coming in."

The door wasn't locked, lucky for Shadow. He opened it and peeped his head in, noticing the small bundle shivering under the covers of her crib. The hedgehog walked over and shook her gently, "Maia, it's me. Are you alright?" The little fox cub pulled herself out from under the blankets. Tears were staining her face, and her eyes had a red tinge. Shadow's heart ached upon seeing this.

"Maia?" She looked up at him, "Are you hurt?" The cub shook her head. Shadow frowned, "What's wrong, then?"

Another flash of light entered the room through the windows, followed by a loud clash. The window flew open from the sheer force of the wind, making Shadow go and close it. This time, though, he locked it with a little latch to make sure it wouldn't fly open again. When his gaze returned to the crib, Maia was once again hiding under her covers, shaking and whimpering all the while.

It clicked.

He gently scooped up his daughter, making sure not to startle her. When she looked up out of her blanket, she saw a gentle gaze comforting her. Without any prompting, Shadow drew her close and hugged her tightly.

Maia shivered as more lightning and thunder sounded. But it wasn't anything to worry about; she knew she'd be safe with her daddy's arms wrapped around her. Eventually, her heavy eyelids and the slight pounding in her head got the best of her. She closed her eyes, her breathing evening out...

A gentle smile plastered itself on Shadow's face as Maia fell to sleep in his arms. It went without saying, what happened tonight. These things were to be expected; Shadow didn't thing the job of fatherhood would come without perks and privileges of it's own. Briefly, he wondered which one this is, before writing off the notion completely.

With Maia safely in his arms, Shadow laid himself out on the small couch in the room. Maia lying next to him, one of his arms wrapped around her, a sense of contentment enveloped itself in him. Shadow gently brushed the bangs out of her face. He smiled in his drowsy state, relishing the feeling in his heart, before giving into his own exhaustion, and shutting his ruby eyes.

The last thing he heard that night was Maia's sleepy yet content sigh.

The next morning, Shadow awoke with a sort of empty feeling. Maia had crawled out of his arms sometime before he woke up, and the door was open. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and went downstairs to make breakfast.

When he arrived, Maia was already sitting at the table. She smiled, showing off her growing baby teeth, and handed him a piece of paper. He looked at it with curiosity, "What's this?"

On the paper was a drawing; not the best one he'd seen, but the identity of the artist made it worth much more than that. A portrait of him, to the best of the one year old girl's abilities. Without thinking twice about it, he hung it on the refrigerator with a magnet. Maia beamed with pride at seeing this.

All throughout the morning, Shadow would make an occasional glimpse at the picture, that same feeling of contentment wrapping itself around his heart.

* * *

**Well that was a corny ending.**

Shut up! (Punches the muse) I'd like to see you do better!

**I'm the one who gave you the idea for this!**

Yeah, one stomach full of sugar later! All that candy made me sick!

**Oh yeah... hey, look, a dancing moose playing the fiddle while riding a unicycle.**

(Sweating) Must...not...look...(turns around and looks; sees nothing) DARN IT! (Turns and sees the muse running) GET BACK HERE!

**Nah! Nah! You can't catch me- (Slams into a tree)**

Serves you right! Now, nicely ask the readers to review.

**Please...review...or she won't help me...**

Why is it so amusing to torture you?

**...You're starting to sound like the Distraction...**

Wow, capital D. Midnight Bell got promoted!

**...yeah...now help me!**

(Sighs) I'll get the first-aid kit...


	12. Chapter XI: Missing

**The nerve of that- that jerk!**

Huh? Who? And how do you know someone I don't?

**It's that math muse of yours. I can't stand the guy!**

Oh yeah, him. Well, you knew he was coming back when school started... in August.

**Well, yeah, but he things I should go on vacation until Thanksgiving break! Claims that I'm just 'distracting you from your school work' and that you should be 'studying'.**

…

**...he also thinks you should give up hot chocolate. Too much sugar.**

(Gasps) That fiend! But don't worry, he's trapped in my head. He can't get in here.

**HA! Stupid big-headed freak!**

(From a distance) MY HEAD'S NOT BIG!

…

…

(Freaked out) Let's ignore that...

**(Also freaked out) Yeah... we don't own Sonic the Hedgehog, so read on as we avoid HIM.**

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XI: Missing

If there were ever a time for a father to panic, it would be now. Outside, in the pouring rain, desperately shouting his daughter's name as he ran through the streets near the house. Oh, how he wished they were inside, where they could be sleeping. Instead, he was outside in the middle of the night, looking for Maia.

Now, you are probably asking yourselves, how on Earth -or Mobius, or whatever planet you're from- had this happened? Well, it starts not too long ago...

"Maia! Time for dinner!" The young toddler smiled, waddling awkwardly into the kitchen. Though she's been walking for almost a year, every time she walked she seemed almost ready to trip. She never did, though Shadow kept his eyes on her in case she did. With a cute smile, she held her arms up in a silent demand to be lifted up. Before Shadow could comply, the door bell rang.

With a soft sigh, Shadow left his disappointed daughter on the floor to answer the front door. Standing on his front porch was a fourteen year old boy with a goofy grin and glasses. Despite not being a threat, Shadow still narrowed his eyes as the boy began speaking in an obviously rehearsed voice, "Hello, I am a junior member of the committee for health and disease awareness. I am here to inform you-"

"Yeah, yeah," The hedgehog waved his hand nonchalantly, "How much money do you want, kid?"

The boy shrunk back at Shadow's voice, deep and threatening and oh so dangerous sounding, before he gulped and 'skipped to the end', "T-to raise awareness of the PD05, a virus transmitted through the exchange of liquids, I ask that you humbly donate at least one dollar to our cause."

"And from the looks of your basket," Shadow gestured to the basket in his hands, near filled to the brim with money, "You're not gonna leave until I pay, huh?"

The boy grinned brightly, making him look all the more stupid in Shadow's mind, "That's the plan, sir."

"Fine," He huffed, "I'll pay your 'going-away fee'," He walked into the house, "As soon as I can find my wallet. Keep an eye on my kid, would ya?" Before the boy could respond, a pair of small arms wrapped around his leg. His eyes met the most adorable little fox cub he'd ever seen as he looked downward. He grinned, then began talking. She watched. And watched. And watched. Until she got bored and waddled into the kitchen, ignoring the teen lecturing on the importance of foot hygiene.

Shadow walked back into the room roughly a minute later with the wallet Maria had bought personally for him. He counted out the money, "All right, that's one dollar for you to leave, and one more to never come back- where's Maia?"

The teen snapped out of professor mode, looking blankly at Shadow. It finally clicked, "Oh, you mean your daughter? She's sitting right-" His eyes bulged out of his head as he realized that the young cub was no longer sitting in front of him, "Well, she _was_ sitting right there!"

"Right," Shadow's eyes narrowed, "Don't go anywhere," Walking into the kitchen, Shadow called out for Maia. To be truthful, this wasn't the first time she had ditched the person watching her. When she did, though, she either went into the kitchen or climbed under the couch. And since it was so close to dinner time...

"Maia?" He called again, "Maia? Ma-" The last time, he was stopped by the shock of stepping in something wet. At first, he assumed it was a spill, before realizing it wasn't sticky. He also noticed the pouring rain outside the cabin, and the partially open window with the chair not far from it. Upon seeing this, Shadow's eyes went wide. He ran out the back door without a second thought, "Maia? Maia!" The calls of her name were lost to the pounding storm. Ignoring the storm, he marched forward.

And that is how he got there, searching up and down the streets of the village near his home. Almost an hour had gone by with no sign of Maia. At this point, Shadow was ready to go home and call the police. With one last look around, he sighed, and ran home, half-wondering if that boy was still there.

Completely drenched, Shadow entered the house through the back door. Failure was not something the hedgehog took lightly, especially when that failure had something to do with something -or someone- he cared about. So imagine his surprise when he walked through the front door to see the boy drying young Maia off with a fuzzy blue towel. He gawked at the scene.

The boy was the first one to notice him, "M-Mr. Shadow!" his face flushed as he rubbed the back of his head with his hand, "I, uh, found Maia. It was real weird. I walked back here to see if I could help and there she was, climbing off the counters!"

"The counters?" He turned to Maia, who was still soaking wet, "But how did you get onto the counters from outside?" Wordlessly, Maia pointed towards the window above the sink, which was open half-way. Shadow stared at it, then at Maia, then back at the window and shrugged. He then turned to the boy, "Now, as for you..."

"Please don't kill me!" He cowered, holding up his hands in the most pitiful attempt at defense Shadow had ever seen.

Shadow responded by scoffing at him, "I'm not gonna kill you, kid. Just... get out of my sight. You're never baby-sitting for me again," The boy nodded and took of at a speed Shadow wasn't aware humans could go at. He rolled his eyes, looking down at Maia.

The toddler stared up at him with wide, innocent blue eyes and asked, "Daddy, may I have dinner now?"

* * *

**Weak...**

Yeah. Oh well, it's different because it's based off a true story. This really did happen to me while baby-sitting... except I represent no health committee, I don't ramble, and once the kid was found and safe, I hid in the basement.

Wow, you're pathetic. This is why that other Muse shouldn't be around.

**AH!**

YOU! GET BACK IN MY HEAD, YOU! (Shoots eye beams at Math Muse. Math Muse vanishes) and don't you come back!

**After that, I'm not sure he CAN come back...**

Er... you didn't see anything... (Throws smoke bomb. Vanishes)

**Typical. At any rate, please review while I try to track down the lady of the hour. Or at least this fanfiction.**


	13. Chapter XII: Second

Chapter Twelve! Wow, already?

**What are you talking about? It's been ages!**

Really?

**Really.**

Oh. Oh wow, I'm so sorry!

**Ah, it's not completely your fault. When's that autobiography due again?**

Friday! Ah! Thanks for reminding me! I gotta get photos for that! And a cover page! And-

**Slow down! It's only Monday!**

Yeah, I guess... oh, isn't there something you wanna say?

**Get writing?**

No, you idiot! I can't believe you forgot OUR birthday tomorrow!

**Oops... wait, won't it be tomorrow when you post this?**

Eh, who cares? On with the story, the characters of which do not belong to us.

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XII: Second

Two years.

It has been two whole years since Shadow found Maia in that little clearing in the forest. Two years full of long nights, anxious worrying, and annoying grocers. Two years of heavy eyes and heated milk. Two years of mischievous kitsune antics and heart jerking moments... two years of precious memories full of sweet smiles and cute giggles.

Yes, those past two years had been worth it.

That particular morning. Shadow was up earlier than usual. Ever since Maia had gotten into the habit of not waking him up in the middle of the night (Stormy nights excluded), he slept until she got up and woke him for breakfast. That morning, an hour before Maia usually got up, Shadow awoke to the sound of an annoying alarm clock. At first, he blinked, trying to will himself back to sleep. Then, after that failed, he shut off the alarm clock and groaned. Ugh, why did he set that thing again?

Then the memory came back. Quicker than lightning, Shadow jumped to his feet and sped down the stairwell. Gathering as much of the needed supplies as he could in one sweep, Shadow, not for the first time since he had met Maia, thanked Gerald Robotnik for giving him super speed. He'd need it if his little plan was to go off perfectly...

When Maia woke up, her first instinct was to go to her dad's room to wake him up. Only to be surprised when she flipped open the covers to find an empty bed. Her little mind began spinning. Dad was never up before her... which meant that he must have gone to the bathroom! With a small smile at her decisive thinking, she ran down the hallway when an unfamiliar smell made her pause. Well, no, that wasn't quite correct. She knew the smell; she just hadn't smelt it in a while. With a yip of joy, she climbed down the maple wood stair as fast as she could safely.

A dark gust of wind flew by her suddenly, sweeping her off her feet. Normally, this would be a terrifying experience, especially to a young toddler, but Maia was completely used to the feeling. When you were a super-sonic speed hedgehog with a two-tailed toddler daughter, you learned quickly that running around was much more convenient than any vehicle. After zooming all the way up the stairwell and back into the kitchen in little under a second, Shadow set Maia down on a seat. Set in front of said seat was a place mat, with...

"Pancakes!" Maia cried with glee, digging in. Her little incisors easily ripped the soft bread into edible bits. As she shoveled all the food into her mouth, Shadow stood behind her, shaking his head slightly.

"Happy birthday, Maia," He whispered, sitting next to her. She gulped her current piece of pancake and blinked up at him with wide, curious eyes.

Things were silent for a moment, until Maia asked, "What's a birthday?"

Shadow facepalmed; having forgotten Maia didn't exactly know what a birthday is. It's not like he celebrated his, or anything of that sort, nor did she have friends who could explain it to her, being a little too young for school quite yet.

"A birthday is..." Shadow frowned, trying to remember, "The anniversary of the day you were born. Two years ago, you were brought into my life. That makes today your birthday. Understand?" He really hoped she did.

"Oh..." She nodded, causing Shadow to sigh, relaxed, "So when is your birthday, daddy?"

"My birthday?" Shadow faltered, having not celebrated his birthday since before Maria the first died, "I'm... not sure..."

"So today could be your birthday, too?" Her sapphire blue eyes twinkled in childish delight.

Shadow shrugged, "I guess..." Really, he hadn't put much thought into that.

"Happy birthday, daddy!" Without warning, the kitsune jumped out of her chair, sending Shadow crashing into the ground, with a fox kit not half his size sitting on his stomach. Well, at least it wasn't his chest.

After finally managing to get Maia off, Shadow sat her down and watched, silently, as she finished gulping down the rest of her breakfast. Pancakes were becoming a favorite of hers, but Shadow was careful as to how many she could have. Once breakfast was done and over with, he handed her a box.

"What's in the box?" She asked in a sing-song tone, one she rarely used around Shadow. It annoyed him, and annoying him wasn't usually a good thing, she had long since decided. But for her sake, Shadow merely smiled and encouraged her to open it with a nod. With a mimic nod, she tore the top off the box, revealing a drawing pad and a set of crayons.

"It's customary to give gifts on one's birthday. This is yours," After a pause he added, "but please, don't draw on the walls. Use the drawing pad."

"Okay!" She cheered, the frowned, "But wait, what about your birthday gift? You need one, too!" Shadow immediately tried to reassure her, but she would have none of it, insisting on giving him one, too. Finally, she smiled, "Oh, I know! I'll show you 'it'."

For a moment, Shadow wondered what 'it' might be. In the end, he didn't have to think about it, because Maia was already dragging him up the stairs into her room, past all the furniture, and over to the balcony, covered by the child-proof gate. She easily climbed over it. Shadow followed, muttering, "Note to self: get rid of the fence and lock this door."

"Are you ready?" She asked. Shadow smirked and nodded, humoring her. He leaned against the wall with his back resting on it and his arms crossed., "Alright! Just stay there!" she backed away from him, her hands up in a stopping motion. Once she was sure he wasn't going to do anything, she turned around, climbed upon the railing, and, without warning, allowed herself to fall backwards. The motion shocked Shadow for a split-second, before he cried her name and ran to the side of the balcony.

He couldn't see her. For a moment, his entire body went numb. Then, he heard giggling from above his position. He froze, then slowly looked upward. There she was, sitting on the edge of the roofing, "How on Earth did you get up there?"

"What's Earth?" She asked, puzzled.

"Never mind, dear. Could you get down here?" She nodded, jumped, and Shadow could only stare in amazement as her twin tails wrapped around each other, at the very least slowing her descent. She didn't look like she was even putting out any effort. She just hovered in front of his face while he recovered from the mental blow her flight had given him.

"Daddy?" Maia asked, for a second afraid she'd done something wrong. Then gasped as two thin arms stretched around the entirety of her small body, pulling her into her dad's arms.

Shadow, smiling, whispered, "You're amazing, you know that? Simply amazing..." and just stood there as the gentle pre-winter breeze danced amongst the branches of their native trees.

* * *

**Horray! A longer chapter!**

Actually, it's only longer cause I wanted to get Maia flying by this point.

**Well, Distraction, hope your happy with this. **

We'd also like to thank our dwindling amount of reviewers, favoritors, and subscribers for letting us know that you actually like this worthless musing of a story.

**Whataya mean 'worthless'? We both put a lot of effort into this, missy! I won't have you doing this!**

…please excuse me while I go prepare for tomorrow. Which is...?

**Posting day?**

You're hopeless.

**What?**


	14. Chapter XIII: Employment

Quality is so much better than quantity!

**And that's her excuse for the late update. Next time, we'll try to work faster.**

Heading in a slightly different direction, too. This chapter has PLOT!

**Did I hear you right? Plot?**

Yes, my muse, plot. As in, actual story development, not just fluff.

**Shame. The readers seem to love fluff.**

Oh, rest assured, there will be fluff, just not as much as before. And fluffiness in future chapters.

**Well, for now, read ahead. We don't own Sonic the Hedgehog.**

If we did, the games they came up with in the last few years would not come up with new characters to replace the older ones. We'd develop the older ones and give them greater roles.

**The opinion of most fanfictioners. Fanfictionetts? Fan-**

Stop it. You'll hurt yourself.

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XIII: Employment

Maia loved her building blocks.

She could sit there all day, just stacking the blocks over and over again. Each time they were stacked, a new formation grew from the center of the construction area, each one more fascinating then the last. Red blocks, blue blocks, green blocks, and yellow blocks were separated by color and size, each one planned by her mind to a specific spot in her arci- arche- her building masterpiece! Another yellow block on the top, and there! The new building was complete! Tall, slender, but still sturdy against wind. She relished in it's presence before curling her tiny hand into a fist, ready to knock the wooden blocks down.

Then a skidding sound made her pause. What was it? Whenever her father took her somewhere, he made a sound similar to that one when he stopped. Only it was never quite that loud. Shadow was always careful to not leave skid marks or go too fast. The sound of slamming assaulted her ears, and her natural fox's curiosity kicked in. She drew the curtain using her flying abilities. Technically, she wasn't supposed to fly without Shadow's supervision, but at this time, she felt there was an exception.

Outside on the cement pavement between the house and the road was a slick lack vehicle. The contraption instantly had the curious young kit's interest, but she abandoned that at the sound of a slamming. A man, dressed in a black suit, walked from the car to the front door. Maia was stunned; they usually didn't get visitors. In fact, anyone besides her, Shadow and occasionally the grocer from nearby on their lawn was inconceivable. Nevertheless, dad was busy, so she should take care of this. It was only natural, right?

Walking around the wall to the front door, she opened it just as the man knocked. He seemed surprised to see her -a small child- here, "I apologize," He kneeled down to her level, as if he thought she had trouble understanding him, "Is your father here? I'd like to speak with him."

Maia turned, "Daddy!" She called, "There's a weird man at the door for you!"

Shadow turned up in a heartbeat, staring in surprise at the man at the door. The man seemed equally surprised to see Shadow. Taking this as her queue to exit, Maia stepped backwards, slowly and carefully, being sure not to cause any commotion. Once back in the living room, she set about building up her blocks again, completely oblivious to what was happening in the next room.

The man in black was the first of the two to recover, turning to Shadow, "So... daddy, huh?"

"Shut up," Shadow snapped back coldly, before looking out the door, "Pleasant day, huh? Much too pleasant for the commander of GUN to just make a random visit to one of his ex-agents."

The commander turned to stare at Shadow, "Still as clever as always, aren't you?"

"Even more so, now that I have her," He gestured to Maia, "Have to be sure nothing happens to little Maia."

"Maia..." The man murmured, "After Maria Robotnik, I presume," Shadow didn't answer, just looked down, "Death is an inevitable part of life, you know. Eventually everything fades," He looked back at the girl, "and such beauty attracts destruction."

"Why are you here?" Shadow snapped.

The Commander turned to look at Shadow. Though he wore sunglasses, Shadow could see the seriousness in his eyes, "We need you to-"

"-come back to the force," Shadow finished, as though he'd heard this before, "Because that terrorist group is giving you so much trouble you need the ultimate life form to take care of them for you; to do your dirty work. Does that about sum it up?"

"This is serious, Shadow," The man adjusted his sunglasses.

Shadow sneered, "It always is. Nonetheless, I have an actual reason NOT to do it this time," His gaze drifted to the young girl in the next room, cheerfully playing. She noticed Shadow staring at her and waved, oblivious to the conversation. Despite himself, he waved back.

The Commander actually seemed amused, "You've gone soft!"Shadow merely glared at him, then turned back. If he hadn't, he would've seen a mischievous smirk form on the commander's face. He slid his sunglasses higher up, hiding his eyes, "Taking care of a kid must be expensive... diapers, food, toys. Much more than taking care of just yourself."

"It's nothing I can't handle," Shadow objected.

The commander shook his head, "Maria left you everything when she passed on. But that might not be enough for this little girl," He turned to leave, then tossed a card towards Shadow. The hedgehog caught it reflexively, and took a look. A seven-digit number was printed neatly on the card, "Call us if you change your mind."

The commander left without another word. Shadow took a look at the card, then back at Maia. She played joyfully with the blocks, oblivious to her father's somewhat sad stare. Hiding his emotions, like he had for Maria whenever she was concerned, he entered the room and stacked a red block on top of the tower, much to little Maia's glee. They continued playing all afternoon.

* * *

"Hello. GUN headquarters, this call is being recorded. State the reason for your call."

"Skip the formalities, you know it's me."

"Shadow! What a pleasant surprise. I don't suppose you're calling to chat about the weather, though."

"...I've changed my mind."

"An even more pleasant surprise. Guess the whole money thing really got to you."

"Checked the account soon after you left. It's almost dry... damn, you sure know how to get your way, don't you?"

"Wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't. Your first briefing will arrive in a week."

"What's the hold-up?"

"You will need to find a baby-sitter... or is your girl older than she looks?"

"...this conversation ends now." _Click._

"Shadow?"

"..."

"Heh, see you soon, old pal."

* * *

**You actually FINISHED IT!**

I KNOW! I'M AMAZED TOO!

**You should tell the Annoying One. Soon.**

What happened to 'Annoying Distraction'?

**She, and the fans whom have been gracious enough to review/favorite, are the ones that forced you to write. That's not a distraction!**

Too, too true. I started this shortly after I finished the other one and am finishing this just now. In February. Wow.

**Yeah... AHH!**

What's wrong?

**NEED SUGAR!**

...oh, alright. I'll start eating the Valentine's Day candy. Hehe, I just bribed you!

**JUST. HAND OVER. THE SUGAR.**

...Okay.


	15. Chapter XIV: Hiring

ARE YOU READY TO PAR-TAY!

**HECK YEAH! Um... what are we celebrating?**

Midnight Bell's first Sonic story, of course! Go MB!

**Ah, right, the story with the dead thingamajigs. You know, we have yet to meet her muse.**

She'll introduce us at some point. For those of you who, for some reason, are skipping straight to this chapter w/o reading the others, MB is Midnight Bell, a friend of mine.

**And my co-Muse for H. Coco.**

Right. And she just published her first story... 'Hunt for the Temple of the Dead'.

**Honestly, it's not that bad.**

And for those of you whom have followed this story and know who MB is... well, you know how spontaneous she can be.

**She actually wrote the Author's Note for Chapter... VII, wasn't it?**

Yup. We don't own Sonic T. Hedgehog, or any related franchise.

**But Nintendo... we gots our eyes on you~!**

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XIV: Hiring

Shadow very rarely trusted others.

He so rarely trusted others, in fact, that he had snapped at a pregnant woman who fawned over Maia when she was little. He screamed at a little kid who almost ran into him with his tricycle. He had actually punched a man for asking for directions. And this was all on a good day! So, naturally, hiring someone to look after Maia while he was on missions all the more difficult.

Oh, and the fact that no one in town liked him, especially after that whole 'Hold-up' thing. That wasn't his fault, though! He was new to being a father then!

Admittedly, he had thought about asking his neighbor, the Grocer, to watch Maia whenever he went out, but a part of him immediately vetoed the idea. He hadn't thought highly of that guy while Maria was still alive, and now he couldn't look at the guy without glaring. Maybe it had something to do with the creep's nickname for Maia but he could not bring himself to trust that man. Of course, this could also be the result of his trust issues but he wasn't going to think about that.

No he was not.

Anyway, he had posted an ad in the newspaper. If he failed to get a result in six days, he'd go down to town, find someone who looked reliable and force them to watch Maia. He didn't want to, but he didn't really have a choice at this point. Nonetheless, all he could do was wait.

And wait.

And wait...

* * *

Meanwhile, three blocks from the house, two squirrel brothers were playing basketball when a reptile kid walked up to them, "Hey. I'm new around here."

"That's nice," One commented offhandedly, shooting over his older brother's head. The ball sailed cleanly through the net with a _swoosh_. The older squirrel frowned, obviously upset that he lost to his own brother. The younger brother smirked.

The reptile coughed politely into his left claw, "Um, do either of you know where I can find this address?" He showed them a newspaper. Both looked at it, then the younger brother pointed towards a road on a hill that lead just outside of town, "Thank you," The reptile bid them farewell and left. The younger brother turned to his older sibling.

"Hey, isn't that the crazy guy's address?"

"Seems that way."

"And he's crazy enough to go that way, just for a job?"

"Well, his death wish, I guess."

"Yeah, and it saves us the trouble of 'taking one for the team' and taking the job so crazy guy won't hold up another store."

"Heh, the poor sucker."

"If only he knew..."

* * *

The doorbell rang. Since her daddy was upstairs, doing something she wasn't quite sure of, Maia went and opened the door. Seriously, how come paranoid Shadow never taught her about 'stranger danger'? Oh well. She stared at the large reptile in front of her. Well, in actuality, he wasn't too large compared to others of his species, but Maia, being a two-year old kit, saw him as huge. He smiled with a wide, toothy grin that would be anything but threatening amongst his own. But remember, toddler fox kit.

"Hello," He said sweetly, "Is your daddy home?"

She screamed and slammed the door in his face. Hm, seems like Shadow doesn't have to educate her on 'stranger danger' after all.

Speaking of Shadow, the young girl's screams had him bolting down the stairwell. He stared at the seen. Maia was cowering under an end table near the door, watching it expectantly. Curiously, Shadow calmly walked over and opened the door. He was greeted by a reptile with a sore red nose, "Ow."

Shadow blinked, "Hello..."

"Oh, hello," The reptile replied, ignoring his wounded nose, "I'm here to apply for the baby-sitting position."

Shadow now stared at him in shock, "Really? Someone responded to that?" The reptile nodded, "Please come in. And I'm sorry about my daughter. Maia!" The young girl ran over, still being mindful of the scary reptile in front of her, "This is Maria Robotnik Junior. She is to be called Maia. Not 'Eme' or 'May' or, heaven forbid, 'little Mai'," Shadow shivered.

"Of course not, sir," The reptile responded. Shadow showed him around the house, questioning him harshly about his past, his present and his future plans, "Well, I'm looking to go to a school for criminal justice. Put all the bad guys behind bars!"

Shadow nodded, "And do you have any experience with children?"

"Uh, sir," He laughed, "I'm a reptile. I grew up caring for children up to five years younger than I was. Consequence of a big family," He stared at Maia, "I'm right to assume she's about two or three, right?"

"Right," Shadow led him into the front room again, "Well, I guess you've got the job."

The reptile blinked, obviously confused, "Wait, it was that easy? What about the other applicants?"

"I'd assume they're too afraid of me to come close to this place," He smirked at the reptile kid's mortified expression, "Give me your number, I'll call you when I need you. You'll be paid by the hour. Rate will be determined as you continue working for me and let me make this clear," He grasped the kid by the collar after the reptile gave Shadow his number, "Anything happens to my little girl, and it will be _your _life. Understood?" The boy nodded, "Excellent. Now, what's your name?"

"V-Vector, sir."

"I'll call you when I need you then, Vector," Shadow led the kid out. Maia, whom had seen how terrified the crocodile was of her father, waved him off, grinning goofy all the while. Unsure of what else to do, Vector waved back.

At the end of the street, he stopped, collapsed under a streetlight, and wondered to himself, "Just what did I get myself into?"

* * *

**Well done, Vector.**

Yup. My favorite croc is joining the main cast of 'Memoirs of a Forgotten Family'.

**Honestly, we love the Chaotix TOO much not to include them in this!**

YES! Though Vector is twelve at this point and the Chaotix have not formed.

**Charmy hasn't even been born yet!**

Yup. This will be entertaining, won't you agree?

**A sociopath hedgehog daddy, an adorable, mischievous little fox genius, and an insane baby-sitter crocodile... this is gonna be good!**

Hasta la vista!

**That means 'Until I see you (Formal)'**

Hooray for Espanol!


	16. Chapter XV: Mission Impossible

**It's been how long since you started this?**

Err... a year. Probably more.

**And you're only on Chapter 15?**

Yup.

**...You are lazy.**

My laptop got fried! Midnight Bell can testify for that!

**Well, whatever. Point is, you're finally back.**

Yup.

**And we STILL don't have ownership of Sonic T. Hedgehog franchise.**

Nope.

**And you are going to feed me cake!**

The cake is a lie.

**Midnight Bell said it's not.**

Midnight Bell is a lie.

**Ouch. Well, anyways, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XV: Mission Impossible

_Ring_. _Ring_.

Vector groaned, rolling over so that his oversized pillow was above his head, in a mute effort to drown out the sounds of the device next to him, "Ugh, not now Mom, it's too early."

_Ring_. _Ring_.

It took another few rings for Vector to register that the ringing was, in fact, not his mother, but his cellular phone. He grunted as his large hand fumbled around, looking for the phone he knew was on the bedside table to his right, yet still somehow eluded his clumsy fingers. Finally, he located the small device and clutched it as loosely as he could, not wanting to break the fragile device and pay for another one with his hard-earned money. Which he had yet to earn. No, he had big plans for this money.

His finger, somehow, found the talk button without crushing the phone, "What?"

"Vector. This is Shadow."

The crocodile nearly fell out of his bed from the shock. Suddenly all the exhaustion flew out the window. In the past week he had only heard stories of his employer, and none of them portrayed the ebony hedgehog as a ray of sunshine. More like the definition of fear. Suddenly the stern man who hired him became the scary boss every teenager dreaded having. He also wondered what the heck could possess a man like him in adopting a little girl.

"Are you there? Respond, boy."

"Y-yeah," Vector's breath hitched, fear swelling with each word, "Do you know what time it is, sir?"

"I am well aware of the time. However, I have been called away on an... emergency," Vector's mind wandered as he recalled rumors of the man's profession -from something as sensible as a delivery man to as something as downright absurd as an alien invader, "I required you to watch my daughter. Once you arrive, the key will be under the mat. There will be a list of rules you MUST follow on the table. I will be back before midnight tomorrow. If anything happens to my daughter, you'll die. Understood?"

The crocodile could only gulp down the nerves caught in his throat, "Yes, sir."

"Good," With a click of the phone, Shadow hung up. It took a moment for Vector's sleep-deprived mind to register the information. It took another to kick the crocodile into gear. The speed, however, of his bodies movements once his mind registered the situation more than made up for it. He bolted into action, packing an overnight bag and writing his parents a quick note. He bolted out the door approximately two minutes after the call. From there, it was only a quick run to the household.

* * *

Vector let himself in when he arrived, to find the cabin-like home as pristine as the first time he came here. Odd, he mused, considering that even one toddler makes huge messes daily, but he figured, if they lived in a home like this, they must have a maid or something. Or maybe Shadow was one of those neat-freaks. Or something. He didn't really care to speculate. He was just here to get paid.

The note on the table, as Shadow had previously instructed him to read, was scrawled in a way that might have been legible, had it not been written in a hurry. Without the rules of the house, Vector would have to use his baby-sitter's instinct to care for the girl. And the first thing that came to mind was to check on the child. The stairs moaned, in their old age loathing the weight of any being, especially a crocodile who weighed more than both tenants. Ignoring their complaints, Vector raced the stairwell and peeked into the little girl's room. She slept peacefully, one of her tails curled underneath her little skull in place of a pillow. Vector smiled. Even the coldest of hearts could be melted by that little girl. Maybe that's why Shadow has her, he mused. Of course, dwelling on this was bad for business, so he closed the door softly, as to not wake the child, and set up everything downstairs.

Once he was good to go, he passed out on the couch, hoping the rest of the mission would be this simple.

* * *

A gentle sniffling awoke the crocodile before the sun had even rose. First difference between mammals and reptiles: Reptiles rise with the sun, due to body temperature and stuff. Mammals, apparently, get up whenever they feel like it. Tears had the same meaning, though. The little girl's tears, small and leaving a sad shine in her eyes, signaled a longing for their parents. Separation anxiety. Nothing Vector hadn't dealt with before.

"Where's daddy?" The girl asked in a broken voice.

Vector smiled gently, picking her up and placing her on his knee. Things went better, he learned, if the child was positioned at eye-level, "Daddy had to leave for a little while."

"Where did he go?"

"I'm... not sure," This, Vector had never told a child. When he baby-sat before, he always knew where the parents were. Maia's eyes shone with a new round of unsheathed tears. She sniffled, putting Vector on high alert, "Now, now, don't cry. I'm sure he's alright. I mean, if he's gone, who'll take care of you?" Vector realized the error of his phrasing a fraction of a second too late.

The dam broke, and tears poured over Maia's eyes as her suppressed sniffles turned to loud cries. Vector waved his hands around frantically, trying to get her to stop. If Shadow walked in right now... he'd be toast.

"Please, stop crying," He pleaded in vain. The girl continued crying, "I'll do anything! I'll-I'll make pancakes for breakfast!"

Her screams calmed to a hiccup, "With caramel?"

Vector had no idea why she would WANT caramel on her pancakes. But she'd calmed down, at least, "Yeah, sure. Why not?"

"Okay!" Suddenly, she broke out into a smile, skipping into the kitchen, and Vector had the vague feeling that he'd been tricked. By a two-year old. Ouch.

* * *

Two large buttermilk pancakes later, the girl was bored.

"Let's play hide-and-seek!" She insisted, shaking Vector, "C'mon! Daddy would play with me!"

"Daddy probably has nothing better to do," The crocodile groaned, "Alright, if you let me get some sleep afterwords."

He looked up. Maia, the cunning little sneak, had disappeared from sight. Vector groaned, fighting the urge to just lie there on the couch and went looking for her. Not in the kitchen. Not the bathroom. Not the living room, though he'd looked twice and still felt he hadn't covered the room well enough. Finally, his search took him to the upper-level of the house. Not in daddy's room. Not in the upper-level bathroom. He pried open the door to her bedroom.

"Maia?" He called, "Come out, come out, wherever you are," His sing-song call triggered a giggle. Well, she was in here... somewhere. Now to actually find her. Not under the bed. Not in the toy chest. He called out again, and pinpointed the direction of the giggling: The back-most corner, where a hidden door lead to an outdoor balcony.

Baby-sitter's instinct says: Bad! Bad! Go get her, now!

The crocodile's breathed heavily as he burst through the door, unlocked. Why the hell would a father as seemingly responsible as Shadow leave a door like this unlocked? Unless she could pick them? He'd seen toddlers do stranger. His eyes peered to the left and right, finally locating the aquamarine hair ribbon blowing with the wind, stuck on a nearby branch. His breath hitched.

"No way... MAIA! MAIA, CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

"Ouch..." Vector spun around. There she was, hanging from the roof, her little paws nursing her ears, "You didn't have to yell..."

After steadying his breathing and pulling the girl from the pipe, Vector asked, "How the heck did you get up there?"

"Like this," She twirled her tails and, to the crocodile's amazement, hovered a few feet in the air before dropping. Vector just shook his head. During his multitude of little sibling baby-sitting adventures, this ranked three or four in levels of shock. No matter. He'd still get paid. Vector noted the time and brought the girl back inside, trying to prevent her from catching a cold in the chilly autumn morning fog. The rest of the night went as expected.

* * *

"So, I take it she was no trouble?" Shadow asked, counting the dollars to hand to the reptile, who took it with earnest.

Vector paused, thinking for a moment, "Nah, not really. In fact, she's relatively calm and well-behaved for a two year old."

Shadow chuckled, "Just what I was expecting."

* * *

Was that a good place to stop?

**Good enough, I guess. **

Humph! Well, as you may have known, this really had no purpose except for establishing the relationship between Vector and Maia.

**Don't worry; he shows up a lot more.**

Hopefully. Not next chapter, though; that's going to be another fluff chapter.

**We're severally lacking on fluff inspiration. So give us some good reviews. Maybe they'll inspire us.**

…

**What?**

OMG! It's been a long time since I've posted!

**(Sweatdrop)**


	17. Chapter XVI: Fireworks

Hi there people! Sorry again for the delay, but I had NO idea what to write this chapter on. Luckily, a few days ago was the Fourth of July, and I was inspired by the fireworks...

**...or extreme lack of therefore.**

Yup. Had to babysit, so I couldn't go see the fireworks. So, I will vent my frustrations by writing a brilliantly fluffy chapter on explosions!

**While watching things blow up in a microwave.**

Yeah... we don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or 'Is it a good idea to microwave this?'. It almost never is.

**But it's funny as heck to watch. They make things explode, so you don't have to!**

Er... I dunno about that...

**Roll the clip!**

This is a fanfiction...

**Right... roll the text!**

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XVI: Fireworks

Maia watched from the floor, a block in one hand, the other laying laxly within her mouth, her baby incisors gnawing numbly at her index finger. Her father, sitting on the sofa, turned from one page of the newspaper to another, his blood-colored eyes scanning from one side to the other. The corner of his mouth twitched at one page, before resuming the usual scowl that he wore when not associating with her. Her mind replayed the words spoken earlier that same day by the strange reptile who sometimes stayed with her when daddy left. Finally, she spoke.

"Daddy?"

The page crinkled as it turned. Shadow didn't look up from his reading, "Hm?"

"Somethin's gonna go boom tonight..."

A red eye became visible over the paper. Mentions of explosives or anything else remotely harmful always caught the hedgehog's attention, "What do you mean 'go boom?'"

Maia grinned, taking the chance to talk, "Vector told me! He told me that tonight, people were gonna launch things into the sky and make them go boom! He also said lots'a people are gonna go watch, but I dunno why people wanna watch things go boom."

The young kit's eyes blinked innocently, baby blue staring curiously into the confused crimson. Finally, the eyes drifted back to the paper's upper corner. A blink. The cold crimson eyes shut as the hedgehog exhaled deeply.

"Of course," He grumbled, "National Mobius Independence Day. There's gonna be a fireworks display tonight."

"Fireworks?" Maia echoed, curious. She hadn't heard of fire that could do any work, before. Only fire that flashes brightly, cooks food and, if you're not careful, it can burn your skin beneath your gloves and fur.

Shadow blinked, registering Maia's appearance, "They're rockets, Maia. People launch them into the sky and set them off, for whatever reason. They make bright lights and loud noises," Shadow sighed, "REALLY loud noises," Maia blinked. Distant memories of being awoken by loud noises replayed in her head.

The images of a bright light in the sky, spreading out in all directions, followed shortly by a loud boom, played in her head. The image, she found, was rather pretty. And Vector was going with some people she didn't know, and if Vector was going, why couldn't she?

"Are we gonna go see it?"

Shadow released a short breath, his eyes closed, the newspaper now resting in his lap, dangling off the edge of his knees, "No, I don't think so."

The little girl pouted, her ears dropping slightly, her eyes narrowed. It is a very rare occasion when an only child is told 'no', folks, and even rarer when they accept 'no' as an answer. It isn't any fault of the child's. The parents, with only one child, too often spoil these children. Maia, unfortunately, was one of these children. She was just a bit more cunning than most.

"Why not?" She asked, putting on a perfect display of child-like innocence, "Why can't we go?"

"Too many people. Too much noise. We'd be out past your bedtime. We'd bug Vector," The newspaper crinkled as it found itself yanked up, covering the hedgehog's expression. Shadow now, once again, was skimming the newspaper, not looking at the little girl staring at him, "Other reasons. Take your pick."

"Well fine!" She pouted, "I would'a loved ta see the fire-thingys with you, but I'm gonna hafta go by myself!"

Shadow set his newspaper aside, wondering if he'd ever be able to read it, and stared the young girl in the eye, "FireWORKS, Maia. And what makes you think you'd get past me?"

The kit smiled triumphantly, "Cause I can!" And, to that effect, stuck out her tongue.

Shadow just stared at her.

* * *

Maia skipped along, the light picnic basket carried in her arms. Behind her, grumbling in submission, carrying a picnic blanket, was the hedgehog known to many as Shadow, to one as 'Daddy', and as 'Shads' to nobody who wanted to live. People stared as they passed, earning a sour look form the hedgehog. But you can't really blame them. Shadow? Attending a public event? Unspeakable! Yet here he was, walking with his daughter, glaring menacingly at anyone who got too close or stared too long.

The only one who actually confronted Shadow was the only one with enough courage to talk to the man: Vector.

"Hey!" Vector called, gaining the two's attention, "What are you two doing here?"

Shadow glanced down, unamused, at the little kit, "I was blackmailed," He answered, suddenly realizing how ridiculous his situation was. Maia smiled up at him, innocent and bright. Sighing, Vector was promptly glared down, resulting in the crocodile backing up, stuttering out a short 'goodbye' that, to the young fox, didn't fit the normally expressive, talkative crocodile. The three then quickly parted ways, with Shadow ushering Maia to a hillside, so as to not attract attention from anymore people. Shadow agreed to do this because his girl wanted to see fireworks. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Together, they waited under the tree. Ignoring the cheering, ignoring the chatter of excited people in the distance. Both their eyes were trained on the sky, for two different reasons. Maia stared in curiosity, awaiting in suspense for the mysterious, illusive lights that she had so long been deprived of. Shadow awaited in minor boredom, wishing for this to be over. He'd seen enough explosions to last him a lifetime.

Then, all at once, it started. A whizzing sound alerted the two to a disturbance. Then, without any warning in the slightest, bright lights lit up the sky. Maia's eyes widened in amazement. Shadow looked to the little girl and smiled at her reaction. He couldn't help it; her awed face was glowing with happiness that couldn't help but be contagious. And Shadow couldn't help but catch it. It wasn't his choice.

When the show was over, Maia was still staring at the sky, awed. People started clearing out, impressed with the show, but wanting to go home. Shadow nudged the girl with his elbow, "Maia? Time to go."

"That was pretty..." The young kit yawned suddenly, remembering how late it was and how tired she was. Shadow picked her up, "Can we see it again next year?"

"Sure," Shadow stated, "So long as we're not in this park."

"Okay..." She yawned, her twin tails curling around her body in that way it does when she falls asleep. Shadow smiled, cradling the girl in his arms, and ran off in the direction of his home, passing Vector's blanket once again. As the crocodile packed up, the hedgehog sped by, spinning Vector and causing the blanket to wrap around his reptilian body. All Vector could do in response was blink.

* * *

**Hold up! This chapter feels different from the rest...**

It does. Maybe we should watch things blow up while writing every chapter.

**I dunno. That's for the fans to decide.**

Good point. So whataya wanna do now?

**Well, since we're the only ones here, we could throw a party, or blow stuff up, or- what are you doing?**

All alone... just the two of us...

**Uh-oh! BYE!**

GET BACK HERE! (Chases with paintbrush)

**(Sneaks back on screen) Please review... AHH! NOT THE INK!**


	18. Chapter XVII: Separation Anxiety

Well, it's raining cats and dogs.

**More like foxes and hedgehogs, in your case.**

True. And anyone who knows me personally knows that I write best when it's raining and thundering.

**Yup. I'm electrically charged!**

Uh... you're antennae are glowing.

**Huh, so they are.**

Well, at any rate, we don't own StH or any related franchises. So, let's get working, Muse... er, Muse?

**(Staring out window) It's so pretty...**

(Sigh)...

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XVII: Separation Anxiety

Another late night baby-sitting job. Another night sleeping in the haunted cabin that was Shadow, the late Maria and Maia's home.

And, to top it all off, black clouds were painting the skies surrounding the small town on this island. On the way over, he saw that people were drawing up their curtains, locking their doors and bringing any relatively tall objects down and indoors. The rainy season on this small island was legendary for it's ferocity, but Vector supposed it was to make up for the rest of the year; the hot summers, the warm, colorful fall and the mild winters. He had experienced his first island storm last night. Thunder and lightning crashing while the roof was pounded on by bullets of water. What a storm. And according to his classmates, it was only going to get worse from here.

It had been weeks since he had started baby-sitting, and the young girl was slowly getting used to waking up in the wee hours of the morning to find Vector pouring her a bowl of cereal instead of her father making a nice, home-cooked breakfast. The first few times, she cried, yes, but once she understood that her father would always come back -even if it was a full day later- she grew more comfortable around the crocodile.

The wind was blowing full force by the time he reached the home of his charge. As usual, there was a note on the table, with no indication of where Shadow was going or how to reach him, a rough estimate of when he'd be back, and a death threat focusing on the happenings of his daughter while he's not around. No parties. No leaving. No grocery store owners. Yeah, he gets it.

Vector dropped his things on the couch, creeping upstairs so as not to disturb Maia, whom he knew would already be asleep. Just a quick peek to make sure she was okay, and it was back downstairs to sleep on the couch. At the sound of the opening door, Maia snuggled deeper into the fur of her tails, sighing deeply in her sleep. She whistled gently in her sleep, not a snore, but definitely audible. Vector closed the door slowly, the only sound being the gentle click of the door as it set into place.

Once settled in on the couch, Vector's eyes closed, his last sight being the empty fireplace that laid adjacent to the couch, the last sound a crack of thunder as the storm began outside the safe confines of the house.

* * *

The emerald eyelids peeled back, revealing caramel eyes. Vector sat up, groggily, before looking to his left. The clock ticked. Two in the morning. There was no excuse to be up so early, the crocodile had never before. So why had he woken up before six?

A small, barely audible whimper answered his question. Vector's ears perked, following the sound upstairs to the room of the young kit, whom had, hours ago, been sleeping soundly, the picture of innocent peace. That was not the scene he opened up the wooden door to this time.

Maia was whimpering and shaking, her tails wrapped around her self. Tears streamed out of her eyes, though she was not outright crying just yet. The tip of her right tail was in her mouth, somewhat muffling her sobs. Vector stared, not because he'd never seen a crying toddler but because he'd never seen Maia quite like this before. It was unsettling. The brave, clever girl who tricked him into making pancakes and flew off the roof of the house was reduced to a scared little kid. He couldn't even imagine why.

Then lightning struck. The girl whined loudly, curling further into herself and shaking just the slightest bit harder. A revelation hit Vector. This was scared crying. The kind that needed comfort.

He tip-toed into the room, "Maia? Hey, Maia?" She looked up, startled. Suddenly unsure, he continued, "Hey, it's alright. It's just lightning, you're okay," She stopped sobbing, staring at him with tear-stained eyes, and Vector thought he'd done it. Then she started sobbing once more. Of course it wouldn't be that simple.

"I-I want," She stuttered, not able to get the words out through her sobs.

"Yeah?" Vector asked, "Whataya want?"

"I-I want," She repeated, "m-my dad!" The flood gates burst, and suddenly the little girl was crying uncontrollably. This was when Vector began to panic.

He approached cautiously, "Hey, it's okay. He'll be back soon, I promise," He gently pet her ear, "He always is."

"N-not this time!" She sobbed, "He's always here when it rains! But now he's gone!" And, if possible, the amount of tears increased.

Oh. NOW he recognized these tears. The wanting of your parent. The same thing had happened to one of his younger siblings, who found their mother's earring and came to the conclusion that she wasn't going to come back. The storm must have triggered it somehow.

"That's ridiculous," Vector claimed, "He'll be back soon. I promise. Cross my heart, hope to die," His claw gently traced over his chest, making an X. Maia stopped sobbing and looked up.

"You promise?"

"I promise. Now, try to get some sleep, okay?"

The girl snuggled into her tails and closed her eyes. Vector sighed in relief, before another thunder strike caused a shiver to ripple through the girl's body. Sighing, Vector pet her head until she calmed. This was going to be a long night...

* * *

Indeed, Vector did end up sleeping in Maia's room, comforting her every time lightning lit up the room or thunder shook the house. It was several hours before the storm calmed enough for him to leave and make breakfast. And what a surprise he got when, half-way through making pancakes, a dripping wet Shadow slammed the back door open, coincidentally, just as lightning and thunder shook the house. Vector jumped. Then looked closely.

"Shadow?"

The hedgehog spit water out of his mouth, glaring dryly at the crocodile, "No, I'm the president of the Easter commission. Now get me a towel," the crocodile scrambled to comply, throwing a navy blue towel atop the ebony hedgehog.

Vector squirmed nervously, "So, Mr. President, what brings you back so early?" Indeed, at least a few more hours would pass before Shadow normally arrived home.

The hedgehog rubbed the towel over his head in an effort to dry at least most of his head quills, "It's storming. I wanted to be back as soon as possible. Speaking of which," He removed the towel and shook his head, sending little splats of water all over the place, "How was Maia?"

"She freaked," Vector responded, shrugging, "It took me most of the night to calm her down."

"Daddy?" The two turned their heads, to find the little kit standing in the doorway, a bright smile adorning her lips, tear-stains decorating her face, "Daddy!" She ran out into the kitchen and hugged Shadow's legs, nuzzling into them, "Where were you, Daddy? It was storming and you weren't there! You promised me! You promised!" Soon, Shadow's rain-soaked legs were also covered in tears.

Shadow smiled kindly, leaning down and embracing his daughter back, "I'm sorry, Maria. I got here as fast as I could. I'm all wet, aren't I?" To prove his point, he shook again, splattering the room with water. Maia giggled, holding her arm above her face to defend against the water. Vector grinned, deciding to accept his paycheck the next time he was here, and walked out the back door, closing it behind him.

A few seconds later, he tripped off the cabin's back porch and into a mud puddle.

* * *

I like that ending!

**Ha! Me too! Vector's so... AH! It stopped raining!**

Man! Just when the creative juices were flowing!

**(Antennae stop glowing) Yup, definitely stopped flowing.**

Hmm... there's only one thing to do now...

**WE TORTURE THE CATS!**

Er.. no. We sign off, dodo.

**DURBADERP!**

BA DURBADERP, yourself!

**Meh!**

Meh!

**Bye!**

Later!


	19. Chapter XVIII: Third

I went to my best friend's birthday party last friday...

**Why mention that?**

Well, it IS Maia's birthday chapter...

**True. But I don't know WHY that party would give you inspiration. The birthday boy broke his drum kit and got beaten up.**

Yeah, I know. I need better friends...

**STOP 'DOT DOT DOT' -ING!**

…

**GAH!**

Heh. We don't own StH or any related franchise. Or my best friend, who knows nothing about women!

**I don't know who to feel more sorry for: You're friend, or the girl who beat him up...**

They're both equally screwed. Now, onto the chapter!

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XVIII: Third

Shadow the Hedgehog was a lot of things. A fighter. A secret agent. An experiment. A best friend. A father. People person had no place on that list.

So why the heck was Shadow throwing a party?

He blamed Vector. It was easier, he guessed. While he was gone, so was the reclusive lifestyle he lead. Suddenly, Maia could go anywhere in town, speak to people, make friends... all she had to do was ask. It was a whole new world of possibility for her. The outside world, beyond her own front yard was big, and with Vector's supervision, she could explore it all.

And when the crocodile had heard it was her birthday, of course, the young girl just had to have a party. With all the 'friends' she had made, the middle-aged mothers pretending to be half their age socializing, the kids playing with his daughter's toys and other various entertainment Vector had somehow encouraged Shadow to get...

There were way too many people. And Shadow didn't like it one bit.

He didn't like that he couldn't keep track of his own daughter in this mess. He didn't like how the toddlers on the ground floor pulled and pushed each other, fighting for the nearest toy or just because. At least twenty of them, Shadow counted up, and still no sign of his daughter. Even Vector looked uncomfortable as the mothers each cooed over him, asking for baby-sitting schedules and other such nonsense.

The hedgehog was lucky enough to get to the top of the steps before the party. Vector was officially the host; even though it was a little kid party, Vector WAS a people person, and seemed to know just what to say or do to keep the guest entertained. He had his instructions. And Shadow would just stay up here, where it's safe.

A little hand tugged at the fur of his leg. Shadow's initial scowl was replaced with a soft frown when he saw his young daughter, looking as uncomfortable with the party as he felt, "Daddy?" She looked down at the bottom floor, "Why are there so many people?"

"VECTOR thought it would be a good idea to throw a party," Shadow scoffed, "But now I see permitting this... thing... was a mistake. I'll send everyone home," The fox shook her head, pulling on his leg fur once again.

"But then we'd be making all these people sad..." She smiled, "Why don't we just leave?" The suggestion was innocent enough, "We can come back later, right Daddy?"

And there it was. The same innocent smile given to him three years ago, as an infant swaddled in pale blue blankets, left on the forest floor by a couple of idiots whom most likely had no idea what they were missing. The girl's eyes sparkled. Her smile lit up a room. She wasn't Maria. She never was and never would be. But she was his girl, his little Maia. And he loved her.

"I think," Shadow lifted the girl, placing her on his shoulders, "That leaving is a perfect idea," He took one last sparing look to the ground floor, "I don't think Vector will miss us, do you?" Maia giggled, shaking her head, "Then let's get out of this place."

And, an hour later, as the two skipped stones over a murky river, eating ice cream and reading books most middle schoolers would have trouble with, did Shadow realize just how much his little girl was like him. An intelligent loner, preferring isolation or minimum company to large crowds.

Shadow was okay with that.

* * *

**BWAH! IT'S SHORT!**

Nothing like getting back to the basics, huh?

**But- but- there are SO FEW PARAGRAPHS!**

Eh, whataya gonna do? Besides, I think it's charming.

**(Sigh) I chalk it up to sugar deprivision. You need more candy.**

Uh... what?

**As much sugar and sweets as possible. Preferably tooth-rotting. That's an order.**

Well that's not something you hear everyday. Well, goodbye.


	20. Chaper XIX: Friendship

**Well, you're dead.**

Yup.

**The one thing you've promised to never do and you do it.**

Hey, at least I've TRIED. But with the writer's block and the death of Gateway (My Laptop), I've had a little trouble writing this thing.

**That's not. An. EXCUSE!**

I know! I know! I'm so so SO sorry, people. But, to make it up, here's a new character!

**Oh, bother. We don't own Sonic the Hedgehog.**

Now let's figure out how to keep them from killing me.

**Heh. Good luck, Charlie.**

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XIX: Friendship

Vector's rules were, for the most part, like her father's. A strict bedtime, no flying unsupervised and other such safety precautions. The only difference between having daddy home and having Vector watch her was that, on rare occasions, they went to the park.

It was one of Maia's favorite places in the town. One filled with happy memories of birthday cake and skipping stones and flying up trees. And though she was mostly alone, as Shadow almost never took her here and Vector was always busy talking to older people, it was still a fun way to pass the time. And today was a perfectly good day for it. The sky was blue, the grass was a bright green and the trees were only just beginning to reclaim their lost leaves. It was at this time where the branches made an ideal, if not beautiful, race course for those whom could fly, such as young Maia.

The young kit lined herself up for another circuit, eyes gleaming in determination. Her tails revved up behind her as she took off at a speed most people would never be able to reach. She squealed with excitement as her speed reached optimum, soaring vibrantly through the makeshift race course. And it only took moments for her to realize that she wasn't alone in her race. Alongside her, almost next to her was a green bird, struggling desperately to keep up with the young kitsune. While Maia normally enjoyed being alone, the sight of the bird made her smirk: racing on obstacle courses was good and fine, but competition made it more fun. She increased her speed slightly, easily outrunning the young bird and racing across the finish line she'd improvised from branches and leaves.

Landing, Maia turned and watched as the bird landed next to her, panting harshly, "Y-you're fast," he gasped out between breathes, "I don't think anyone's ever beaten me before."

Maia giggled, "Well, I'm pretty fast for my age. Got a lot of practice evading large crocodile hands," This statement earned her a sideways glance from the clearly confused bird. The young girl held out her hand, "I'm Maia."

"B-bean," The young bird returned, still panting for breath. Moments later he stood up straight, smiling at her, "I think you got a head start, though. How about a rematch?"

The young kit nodded, having planned to do another circuit anyways, "Alright. I'll even give YOU a head start this time."

"You'll regret it," The bird warned, but still flew several yards ahead of Maia. She merely smirked in response, taking a good starting position which, she had figured through trial and error, would allow her to propel herself forward with maximum speed. From there, it wasn't much of a challenge to outmaneuver and overtake the young bird, finishing the race a good few seconds before he did. Once again, Bean was left in the dust, panting, as Maia stood triumphantly on the other side of the finish line.

"I-I let you win," He gasped.

Maia smiled, deciding to be a good sport, "Of course you did," She then sat down, "But I'm getting tired, so let's take a little break."

"K-kay."

From there, the talking drifted away from racing and towards other topics. Maia briefly showed Bean how to skip rocks across a nearby pond. Bean, in return, walked her through the process of making paper airplanes. Maia's eyes lite up with excitement as the small plane whirled over a nearby bench, landing in a bush.

"Ya know, one day, I'm gonna pilot a real one," Bean stated confidently, "I'm gonna take it all over the world, and I'm gonna use it to save people," He paused, thinking a bit, "Like the people in 'Air Star: Mobius'."

"Cool!" Maia squealed, smiling brightly.

"What about you?" Bean asked, "What are you gonna do when you grow up."

Maia stroked her chin, thoughtful, and finally came to a conclusion, "I'm gonna be just like my dad when I grow up!"

The young bird cocked his head to the side, "Well, what does he do?" Maia whipped her head around quickly and, when the coast was clear, leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"He's a secret agent," Her soft words replied, before pulling away quickly, "but don't tell ANYONE. It's just between you and me, okay?"

"Okay!" Bean grinned, "You up for another race?"

Maia jumped up, about to reply when an outraged shriek interrupted them. Before they could continue a giant green bird grasped Bean's wing, pulling him away, "Young man, you are NOT to be playing with freaks like this! I raised you better!"

"But Mom!" The bird replied as he was pulled away, then looked back helplessly as Maia's hurt expression grew farther and farther, "I-I-"

Whatever he was going to say next was lost as he disappeared out of sight. The young kitsune sniffled, rubbing at her eyes fiercely. She gasped suddenly as a large green paw landed on her shoulder. Vector's sympathetic expression eased her pain a little, but not much. Without a word, he picked her up and carried her into off.

"Don't worry about it," Vector consoled, "That woman was just being a jerk. I know: I go to school with her older son," Maia just sniffled into his arms. Vector smiled apologetically, "Hey, c'mon. It's not like this is the last time you'll see him."

Maia stopped crying to look up, her eyes glistening with tears, "Really?"

"Really. Now c'mon, I'll buy you ice cream on the way home."

The two walked through the park, hand in hand. Maia looked back once, just once, and smiled when she saw Bean, sitting next to his reading mother, beaming and waving fervently at her. She waved back quickly before rushing to join Vector.

* * *

...Did I...just?

**YESH! CONGRADULATIONS, YOU FINISHED A CHAPTER!**

…(Blush)...thanks...

**That... wasn't really a compliment.**

I would also like to thank the ever present Midnight Bell for coming up with this idea and helping us decide which Sonic character to use.

**Didn't you go through the entire wiki before one of you suggested "That bird who's name no one can remember"?**

Yup, that's pretty much how it went.

**So please, leave your reviews. We don't care if you're flaming us, or Bean's incredibly rude mother, but please leave a little something to encourage future chapters.**

EXCEPT REQUESTS. Midnight Bell and I have already worked out all the other chapters.

**Now, to celebrate... break out the chocolate!**

_MidnightBell's writing random stuff at the end of the Author's Note! XD_

_Cheese goes good with apples._

**We'd also like to thank Skagui the sniper for caring enough to send us a PM.**

(Sniff) It's people like you that make writing fanfiction worthwhile.


	21. Chapter XX: Unfortunate

**Well, this is short.**

Yeah, but it's supposed to be...

**And hey, Shadow's back. He wasn't in the last chapter.**

No he was not.

**So here it is, people of planet Earth: Chapter 20.**

Enjoy. We don't own Sonic the Hedgehog.

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XX: Unfortunate

The last time Shadow had been at a carnival was when Maria, his human, had taken him there. And he decided, after ten minutes, that he absolutely loathed the place. There were too many bright lights and whining children. The colors were irritating and even before that Shadow had loathed the smell of fried foods. He had sworn to Maria at the gates fifteen minutes later to never return to such a vial, disgusting place of amusement and childish antics.

Of course, when he had sworn this oath, he didn't have a three-year old daughter.

Maia was happily licking her cotton candy, thankfully avoiding the fried foods, and holding on tightly to his hand. Well, actually, it was more like HE was holding tightly to HER hand. He didn't dare turn his back, less his little girl wander away yet again. Not that Maia seemed to mind. She didn't protest in the slightest, simply licking that cotton candy of hers.

Shadow winced, holding his hand protectively in front of his eyes as a bright flash of someone's camera blinded him temporarily. THIS was why he hated carnivals. Inwardly, he cursed Vector for mentioning it. Now he was stuck here, for who knows how many hours, watching his daughter and the other people have fun while he was suffering through an extreme headache. Sighing, Shadow traced his thumbs clockwise around his temples, trying desperately to qualm his headache.

It was only when he was done with that did he realize that he had used two thumbs to calm his raging skull.

Cursing, Shadow spun around, eyes darting wildly in search for the young kitsune. When he failed to find her, he ran back, keeping his eyes peeled for the little girl.

When Shadow had released Maia's hand, the girl took that as a sign that she could roam free. That was what it meant at other places. Why should this carnival be any different?

Grinning, Maia ran off in the opposite direction, completely unaware of her dad's pain, or the panic and worry he was soon to go through. She skipped merrily through the park, laughing at the carnies and making tabs of anything she'd want to ride later, when she had her dad with her. Only when she saw something completely unusual did the flying fox stop and stare.

Unlike the other brightly colored tents, this one was dark, the entirety of it black with purple lining across the opening flap. Curiosity drove Maia towards it, despite that as she drew closer the cheerful, upbeat music slowed some, creating a creepy sort of melody. Taking a deep breath, she threw the flap open, blinking in surprise at what she found. The music had returned to normal and sitting on the other side of the tent was a black cat with long, curled locks. Upon seeing the girl she smiled eerily, in a way that said "I know something you don't know," and beckoned the child closer with one de-clawed finger.

"Hello there, little one," She cooed, "One mobium for your fortune?"

Maia, wordlessly, brought her gloved hand into the pocket of her clothing and pulled out one mobium she had saved from a while ago. She walked over and placed it into the cat's outstretched paw. The woman smiled.

"Excellent," She purred, "Now, sit there for a moment, while I summon the Otherworldly One, and see what he has to say about your fate."

The women hummed quietly as her paws worked the crystal ball. It glowed at her touch, different colors lighting the once dark tent. Maia gasped as the colors escaped the crystal ball and flew wildly around the tent, shielding her young head as one nearly hit her. The colors then, all at once, turned and flooded back into the crystalline orb, a bright white light given off that temporarily blinded Maia.

When the girl was able to open her eyes, she gasped as she found a dark figure hovering ominously before her. The young girl's eyes darted around, attempting to find some way out of there, but she was instead surrounded by a strange black aura, the shadows cutting off all attempt at exit. Unsure of what else to do, she backed away slowly. The creature followed her every move, keeping the uncomfortable distance between them. Maia gasped as she tripped, falling backwards, still desperately trying to move backwards. Her eyes filled with tears as the monster continued it's ominous approach.

"No," She begged, unsure of what else to do, "Please, stop. No! NO!"

And Maia opened her eyes, only to find the fortune-telling cat staring at her with mild interest.

"Fascinating," She mumbled, then returned her attention to the orb, "VERY fascinating..."

Before Maia could respond, the entrance to the tent burst open, a relieved and angry Shadow hovering at the entrance, "There you are!" He grasped her hand, pulling her away from the cat, "Don't worry me like that again, Maia!"

"Fifth time's the charm, eh?" The cat asked, smirking delightfully.

Shadow snorted, "I don't need your opinion, fr-" Shadow stopped, looking at his daughter's suddenly big eyes, "...jerk."

And with that, the hedgehog pulled his daughter out of the tent, back into the carnival grounds. Muttering under his breath, he headed immediately for the exit.

"Don't scare me like that again, Maia," He scolded, looking away from his daughter so not to show the wetness they had, "Don't you EVER scare me like that!"

The girl only sucked at her thumb, eyes shining bright with fear.

* * *

**Whoa! How come THEY get to go to the carnival?**

Because Maia doesn't cause writer's block for half a year.

**MEH! (Pouts)**

And hey, just so you guys know, I'm thinking of posting this on my DeviantArt page. Eh, maybe.

**Why not? It's the only thing you've written that offers any non-comical speculation on any characters.**

(Opens mouth)

**And no, the slapstick known as "Not as Stupid as He Seems" DOESN'T COUNT!**

(Pouts)

**Now we're even. Review, even if you didn't like it. Cause... you know, they're more valuable than oil in our post-SOPA Panic Fanfiction Depression.**

Actually, I don't think fanfiction really suffered from-

**POST-SOPA PANIC FANFICTION DEPRESSION!**

OKAY! OKAY! Sheesh...


	22. Chapter XXI: Mysterious

It's us again!

**Did you miss me?**

You? No. Me? Probably not. They're here for Maia and Shadow and Vector. Well, maybe not Vector...

**Well meh.**

Anyway, we went in kind of a different direction with this chapter. Hope you enjoy!

**We don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related parties. Please, however, feel free to leave a review or a cookie or whatever people leave these days.**

Except cell phones. Stupid new fangled whatchyamawhoosits...

**Aren't you in high school? -_-**

...What's your point?

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XXI: Mysterious

"Mister Vector?"

"Yeah, Maia?"

"Where are we going?"

The crocodile, in response, pointed to a large house in the distance. It was bigger than Shadow and Maia's abode, about four floors in total, but had the same rustic feel, almost like a cabin in the woods. Maia eyed the building suspiciously as they approached.

"Miss Vanilla asked me to come up. Said it was an emergency," Vector's eyes suddenly grew brighter, "She, er, has something of a crush on me, so of course I was the first one she called."

The young kitsune holding his claw eyed her baby-sitter with what could only be a calculating expression, "Actually, didn't she ask for my dad?"

"Er... well..."

"And didn't you pick up the phone and lie to her about being his apprentice?"

"Umm..."

"And doesn't she have a boyfriend?"

Vector blushed heavily, "D-don't mention any of that stuff. She sounded really upset," His blush faded, and the spark in his eye faded into clouds of worry, "I hope she's okay."

The duo walked up to the front door of the lavish cabin, passing foreign plants that Maia just had to stop and study, gold sculptures that Vector just had to stop and stare at longingly, and black rose bushes that Maia reached into and pulled out one of the ebony flowers. It was rare for her father to receive presents, so she thought he might like one.

A melody of chimes played when Vector's claw pressed into the doorbell. A soft cry of, "Just a minute!" and exactly thirty-three seconds later, the wooden door creaked open, and Vector's jaw hit the floor.

Maia tilted her head. Miss Vanilla was pretty, she decided. She had a tuft of brown hair on the top of head, but instead of flowing hair there were two long rabbit ears. She dressed like she just came back from charm school: a simple school girl outfit, with a skirt up to the knee and a short-sleeved woman's polo. Her eyes, though, were brimmed red, and her mouth was morphed into a worried frown. A fragile expression that Maia hadn't seen outside of the soap operas Vector watches when he thinks no one's looking.

She decided she disliked that expression.

"Oh... Vector..." The girl smiled, but it was humorless, "Please, come inside... and you brought a baby?"

Vector picked up Maia, who was glaring in annoyance at being called a baby, "She's Shadow's daughter... Er, I agreed to watch her for a bit."

Vanilla's eyes gleamed in disapproval, but she allowed the two in. Vector took to the couch, still holding Maia, and held her tight when she started to squirm uncomfortably, eager to explore her new location. Grinning, he asked as coolly as he could, "So... what do ya need, Miss Vanilla?"

The girl turned to the fireplace mantle in the center of the west wall which, unlike every other richly decorated surface in the house, was barren, "Before I was born, my father made my mother a beautiful sculpture using a gem he'd found. But... last night, someone broke in and stole it," Vanilla's eyes glistened with tears, "I-I want you to track down the thief. Please! It's my families most prized possession."

Vector responded, without hesitation, "Of course, Miss Vanilla! Whatever ya need!" He glanced down to where Maia, bored with Vector's lack of attention, had started messing with the key around his neck, "Ya mind keepin' an eye on Maia while I look around?" The rabbit nodded her affirmative, taking Maia and walking out of the room to find something to occupy them.

Nodding in her general direction, Vector started towards the fireplace mantle, inspecting it as closely as he could without touching it. A small layer of dust coated it, only broken by a circle clear of dust, where the statue must have sat.

Vector's eyes drifted curiously to the floor in front of the mantle, where the carpet hairs below were parted slightly to make way for the weight of whatever thief had snuck in during the night. Following the subtle trail, Vector found himself nearly walking into the westward wall, where a window was shut tight, unlike every other window, slightly cracked open to accommodate for the growing heat. The crocodile forced it open with ease and slipped out, aware of the two pairs of eyes that followed his movements. Well, one and a half. While Maia appeared occupied with an old toy Miss Vanilla had given to her, she always seemed to know exactly what was going through his head. Trying hard not to look back at them, Vector moved forward, looking for any signs of the criminal's passing through.

Finding nothing, Vector went to move forward when he felt something under his foot and looked down, spotting a little piece of paper caught underneath his shoe. Using two fingers, the crocodile pulled it off, frowning at what's written on it.

"Well?" Vanilla had gone through the front door, still carrying Maia with her, "What does it say?"

"Just one word. 'Ego' on one side. The other has an address... Any idea what EGO is?" Vanilla shook her head, while Maia looked up from her temporary toy.

With small gloved fingers, the fox kit swiped the card from Vector's claws, eying it with a frown, "Vector?" She asked after a moment, "You might wanna call Daddy now..."

* * *

Shadow arrived home nearly two hours later, surprised to find Maia and Vector sitting quietly on the couch. Normally, his daughter was playing while her baby-sitter either watched television or prepared dinner in the kitchen. But the television was off, and Maia was completely silent. The two looked up simultaneously, before Vector stood up, practically running towards Shadow.

"Hey, Shadow! You're not gonna believe what happened today!"

The hedgehog frowned, then shook his head, "I cannot believe it if you do not tell me what it is, boy."

"Oh, right," He smiled sheepishly, "Well, ya know that girl, Vanilla?"

"The one Maia tells me you've been crushing on?"

The crocodile tossed an annoyed expression Maia's way, who simply shrugged in response, "I-I don't have a crush on her!" He coughed, then continued, "But anyway, she was robbed this morning?"

"Oh?"

"Yup!" Vector nodded, "And I went over ta take a look at the place -cause, ya know, she needed someone ta help out- and found this. Maia got kinda scared when she saw it."

Vector handed Shadow a small business card, keeping a calm expression all the while. The hedgehog took the card and looked at it, his brow raising in surprise.

"EGO, huh?" He frowned, "What did they steal?"

"Statue," Vector pulled Maia into his lap, "What exactly is EGO?"

The card slipped neatly into a pocket on Shadow's travel pack, the hedgehog peeking through it in search, responding to Vector's question, "Criminal group. Classified. Can't tell you anymore than that." The pack found itself lodged, once again, onto Shadow's back. He turned around and headed out the door once again, "Call your parents, Vector. You may be staying overnight again. I'll contact you later."

"Daddy!" The hedgehog stopped as Maia ran out the front door, hugging his legs, "Be back soon, okay? I gotcha somethin'," She handed him the black rose, which Shadow took, trying not to grimace at her improper English. With one final hug, Shadow departed.

Vector watched him go with a slight frown, "Geez, I'm the one who found the darn thing. The least 'e coulda done was answered my questions."

"He can't, but I can."

Maia's words made her older baby-sitter smile in amusement, hoisting her up to his shoulder, "Oh really?" She nodded, "You know about this mystery criminal group that's so-called 'classified'?"

"Yup!" She grinned, "Daddy thinks he hides his mission files well, but I take the new ones and read them before bed. Daddy never notices they're missing," Clearing her throat, she recited, with as deep a voice as possible, "EGO is a loose alliance of villainous enemies of gun. They range from members of organized crime to well known terrorist organizations. EGO agents are a variety of human and mobian members, each with different powers and weapons. Initiates are required to carry along a card that gives them their destination after they complete their initiation crime. Although officially labeled a terrorist organization, EGO is more well-known for the theft of various ancient artifacts, focusing on anything to do with the extinct Echidna culture."

All Vector could do was blink, "And you're sure you don't have some sorta photographic memory?"

The girl shrugged, "I mighta paraphrased," She looked out the window, "Daddy's gonna take the card to GUN's West Isle Base... on the other side of the isle."

Vector blinked in confusion, "But the address on the card was one from midtown... why would Shadow have ta go all the way across the island?"

"He's gotta get the mission approval," The kitsune responded, a blank look on her face.

"B-but that could take hours, knowing how politics work! By that time, they'd be off ta isle!" Vector scrambled, fetching his coat, "If Shadow calls and asks, I'm goin' ta the store ta buy milk. Will you be good while I'm gone?"

The girl smirked, a mischievous spark in her eyes, "Don't worry. I can take care of myself. Be back soon."

Nodding, Vector hurriedly rushed out the door, leaving little Maia to her own devices.

* * *

Vector had passed this particular house many times during his few years on Westside Isle: it was between his house and the general store, the cheapest place in town to buy groceries. It was quaint; beyond the fact that the blinds were always closed, it looked very much like any other house on the street. In all his life, Vector wouldn't have imagined it was the base of a terrorist organization.

There was nobody outside the house, allowing Vector to creep up undetected to the wrap-around porch. With the blinds shut, he had no way of peering inside, but instead pressed his ear up against the wall, listening carefully. Past the sounds of running water and through the thick mortar, Vector could hear footsteps from within. Frowning, he glanced around for another way in and his eyes rested on the gutter. The white pipe lead all the way up to the roof. Grinning, the crocodile proceeded, as quietly as possible, towards the gutter pipe, where he found climbing it without A) the pipe giving out due to his girth and B) the pipe making enough noise to lure out the EGO members was much harder than it seemed to be. Despite this, Vector somehow managed to find his way to the top, grinning like an idiot when he pulled himself up.

Hey, if you'd done something that should have been physically impossible, you'd be pretty ecstatic, too.

From this point, Vector tread carefully across the roof, wincing every time a subtle groan escaped the aging tiles. The chimney wasn't far -six steps, if he stretched as far as he could- but any chance Vector had of fighting these goons went down significantly the moment he was discovered. Breathing a sigh of relief, the teenaged reptile slipped into the chimney, using his claws to prevent falling as he slowly shimmied downward.

The room was unlit -luckily for Vector, since it gave ample leeway for hiding. Even more lucky was the fact that either Vector had misheard the footsteps or some of them had left, for now there were only two people down here, talking in hushed voices, afraid of someone overhearing them. And behind them, situated on an elevated platform, was the statue, with a blue gem laying right beside it.

One of them moved towards the kitchen, and Vector saw his opportunity. He rushed out, tackling the man into a wall, who slumped to the floor. Before the other man could finish turning around in his surprise Vector's fist collided with his chin, knocking the man backwards into the foremost wall, where he slumped limply to the floor. Grinning, Vector turned around-

-only to face down the barrel of a gun.

The weasel behind it grinned, a piece of grass sticking out from between his teeth, "Well, whata we gots here?"

Even under pressure, Vector couldn't restrain his wit, "Bad grammar?"

The weasel hissed, his smile disappearing as he held the gun to Vector's forehead. The teenager grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut as he felt the barrel of the gun to his forehead.

Then,seconds later, the barrel disappeared. Vector's eye eased open, surprised to find the weasel now on the ground, sprawled out on the floor. Standing over him was a very satisfied looking Maia.

"Maia?" The crocodile blinked, "Whataya doin' here? Shadow's gonna kill me!"

The girl shook her head, pointing downward, "'I told ya I could take care of myself. 'sides, there's no one here anymore. Let's take the statue and go."

Nodding, Vector moved to pick up the statue, unintentionally stepping on a pressure plate. Once it slid down, alarms rang throughout the building.

Maia was the first to react. Using Vector's shoulder as a platform, she flew up and grasped the gem. She tried to grasp the statue in her other hand, but the weight was too much for her. At this point, Vector regained his senses and grabbed the girl and the statue, racing towards the door.

A hand on Vector's back suddenly pulled him away from it. With a gasp, he let go of Maia and the statue, one landing on the floor with a hard clunk while the other landed on her feet, albeit with an apprehensive look on her face. Someone came out from behind him and approached the young girl, wrestling the gem away from her before picking her up.

"Let ta girl go!" Vector pleaded, "She didn't do anything wrong!"

Whomever these people were, they ignored Vector, and the one holding him dragged him back towards the kitchen. In the corner of his eye, he could see Maia, whimpering slightly as both of her wrists were held tight by two different strangers.

This was, by far, the worst idea Vector had ever had.

What happened next was something of a blur. The next thing Vector knew, his hands were free, and a dark wind swirled around the room, knocking out whatever it came into contact with. Thankfully, it seemed to avoid Maia. When all the EGO members in the room where knocked out, the wind paused in the middle of the room, and Vector's heart dropped to the middle of his stomach.

Shadow's glare met him before the ebony hedgehog's gloves were clamped on his shoulders, forcing him down until he was eye-level with his boss. The ruby eyes glistened, "I should fire you right now! In fact, I have half a mind to arrest you! What were you thinking?"

The crocodile gulped, finding it hard to talk over the newly formed lump in his throat, "I- uh- I-"

"I made him do it, daddy," Maia stated, running over and taking the hedgehog's hand, "I mani- manne- talked him into doin' it!" Her eyes shimmered, "Please don't be too mad at him!"

The hedgehog's eyes softened at he looked at his daughter, then darkened once more as he stared down Vector, "Is this true, crocodile?"

"I- uh- No, sir," He managed, "I came here alone. Maia followed me."

Shadow's eyes closed, and Vector could finally breath again as he removed his hands from the reptile's shoulders, "Humph. Good answer," He turned around to pick up his daughter, "I'll give you one -ONE- more chance, Vector. You screw up, and I'll find some way to deport you."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir!" Vector saluted, despite himself.

The hedgehog took no notice of this, instead picking up the blue gem from one of the unconscious goons' grasp. Staring at it, he frowned immensely as memories of Gerald and Maria came back to him. This gem... was it really-?

"Mister Shadow?" Vector was now holding Maia, ready to leave, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Shadow picked up the statue, "You take Maia home -_**straight**_ home- and I'll take this back to GUN HQ. Tomorrow, you will return it to Vanilla."

Vector nodded, staring at the gem, "Was that what they were after?" He blinked, "What is it?"

"Classified. You have your instructions, boy. Carry them out," And with that, the hedgehog disappeared as suddenly as he appeared, leaving behind his daughter and her confused baby-sitter.

The next morning, Vector returned the statue as promised, and was rewarded with one-hundred dollars and a kiss on the cheek (which he'll never wash again). Still, as Vector left, he couldn't help but wonder if her parents would notice that the gem adorned within the statue was a fake...

* * *

DONE! YESH!

**I dunno. I think Shadow was too soft on Vector. **

...you just want to see Shadow freak out on Vector, don't you?

**Kinda.**

Weirdo. But whatever. This was a bit more plot-oriented than normal. Rest-assured, all the people in that house were arrested by GUN. Except Vector. Officially, he was never there.

**And they will return with a vengence. **

Now that that's over, we have a math final to study for. You go get Math Muse. I'll get the straight jacket.

**(Whips out bat) Oh, is this gonna be fun...**

_Ha! I studied earlier and get to do what I want now. I win :p_

I'd also like to thank Madagascarmaster for sending us a PM regarding this chapter.

**Yeah, thanks for doubting my abilities as a muse!**

...yeah, cause you were SO great to begin with...

**HEY!**


	23. Chapter XXII: Adoption

(Sniff)

**(Opens umbrella) Here we go again...**

WAAAAHHHH! (Cries a river)

**...she misses Midnight Bell.**

Why? Why must she leave me alone?

**Cause even I need a break from you?**

(Sob)

**Err... we don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. Hey, come on, now. You want something to drink?**

(Sniff) Yes...

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XXII: Adoption

Vector frowned.

It was unusual for Maia to be silent for long, if any amount of time at all. The girl, so long as she was comfortable, could ramble on and on bout anything. And, since she practically inhaled books, every time he came over she was spouting new knowledge, from details on classical art to math Vector hadn't learned until just last year to whistling basic tunes. It seemed the girl would never run out of things to say to him.

Until today, it seemed. Maia was enthralled by the television, mindlessly watching a cooking show that Vector suspected she had no interest in. The young girl hadn't spoken a word; hadn't moved; hadn't twitched when Vector had tripped, making the whole house shake.

From the kitchen, as he washed dishes from a lunch that Maia refused to eat, Vector watched her from the kitchen, a slight panic rising in his gut. When a child was quiet, it usually meant either they were scheming or something was troubling them. And considering she hadn't left Vector's sight in the past four hours, he'd assume it was the latter.

Taking a deep breath, Vector approached his young charge cautiously, "Hey, Maia," He smiled gently, trying as hard as he could not to intimidate the young girl. Experience taught him being forceful ended with being shut out, "Somethin' up?"

Maia continued staring mindlessly at the screen.

That was when Vector realized that he wouldn't get any response from her with the TV in the way. Somehow factoring in her intelligence, he decided she was more likely to listen to him if she couldn't turn the television back on with a single button and, with that in mind, pulled the plug that dangled from the back of the television.

Maia blinked in confusion for a moment, before turning her stare upwards at Vector. The crocodile leaned next to her and looked her in the eye, "Alright, Maia. What's wrong?"

She looked up at him with bright blue, pleading eyes, "Nothin'."

"Liar," Vector shook his head, "Tell me what's wrong."

The young kit looked down at her feet, mind whirling, "What's your mom like?"

"My mom?" Vector blinked in surprise, mind slotting the pieces together, "She's nice, I guess. Really liberal. If it wasn't for my dad, we wouldn't have any rules," Vector chuckled at the thought.

"Why don't I have a mom?" She asked.

Vector shook his head, growing increasingly uncomfortable, "That's... really something you should be asking your dad kid."

"And that's another thing," Maia stood up and began pacing, "Why don't I look like dad? The kids on TV, they look moderately like their parents. Or at least, they're always the same species? So why me? Vector, why am I different?"

"Uh..." Maia's eyes began leaking, and that's where Vector drew the line, "Okay, I swore I'd never do this. I swore it would never come to this. But you need this, so... heck with it!" Vector marched into the kitchen, Maia hot on his heels, and picked up the phone, "I'm gonna call your father!"

* * *

Shadow eyed his target, a large, burly dog supposedly selling weapons underground to EGO. He was to meet with the man and con him into showing him his stock, allowing evidence for his arrest. The two were currently engaged in an invigorating game of poker when his cell phone went off.

The dog huffed in annoyance.

Shadow stood up, making no excused, and answered, "Go."

"Mr. Shadow?"

"Vector?" Shadow's eyes widened, "Is there an emergency?"

"Kinda, but not really- ya don't have ta come home!" Vector's voice grew high pitched as he feebly attempted to assure his boss that everything was under control, "It's not, like, life or death or anything. I just need you ta talk ta Maia. She... kinda needs it."

Without warning, the sweet voice of Shadow's young daughter came online, "Daddy?"

"Maia?" Shadow's voice turned firm, "What's wrong?"

"I- your my dad, right?"

"Yes..." Shadow blinked.

Maia audibly sobbed, a sound that always got Shadow panicking, "Cause I was watchin' that show with the blue squirrel in it and the squirrely guy said how all kids are combos of their parents but I look nothin' like you and I dunno what my mom looked like and then he said somethin' 'bout 'dopted kids and how they're not really the kid of their parents and I look nothin' like you so I must- must-" At this point, words failed the young kit and she instead opted for straight up crying.

Shadow exhaled sharply, "Maria!" The other line went silent, probably from the shock of him using her real name, "Yes, you are adopted but that's not something to cry over," He waited a bit after hearing her sniffle, then continued, "I chose you. YOU. I love you, okay Maia?"

"Y-yes, daddy," The girl sniffled.

Shadow nodded, knowing she couldn't see it, "We'll have a longer discussion about this when I get home, okay?" Silence, during which he assumed she nodded, "Now if you'll put Vector back on the line, please."

Another moment of silence, then Shadow talked into the phone, "You did good, Vector. Really good."

"Thank you, sir!" A pause, "So, that means I won't be fired for last week?"

Shadow smiled darkly, "Keep this up, Vector, and I'll cancel my order for giant crocodile eating vipers."

"...uh, you're joking, right sir?"

"I'll see you tomorrow morning Vector."

"SIR-" There was a gentle _click_ as Shadow signed off, before turning back to his victim.

Who was, surprisingly, bawling like a baby.

"That was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard," He sniffled, "Y-you wanna get a drink?"

Shadow nodded, a slight frown on his face. However, his innards were smirking.

* * *

Vector's face had paled slightly after Shadow had hung up. After a quick thought, he decided Shadow couldn't get vipers large enough and turned back to Maia, smiling unsurely, "You feelin' better?"

She nodded, "Mm-hm. Hey, you wanna see what I did with the music player you left here that one time?"

"That's what happened to that? Hey- what did you do to my music player Maia? MAIA!" He grasped at her, only for the little fox to fly over his head and into the living room, where she proceeded to play cat-and-mouse with Vector until it was time for bed.

* * *

**...That. SUCKED.**

(Sniff) Hey, Nutmeg's not here to read over it, so...

**Oh, so I'm not enough?**

Nope.

**(Sigh) Well, at least she's honest. Be truthful in the review, folks. If she gets any sympathy, she's gonna treat you to a poorly written bonus story.**

No I'm not...

**SHH. Let them think my threat means something.**

(Sigh) Oh, sorry about the two mismatched linebreaks. For some reason linebreaking isn't working right...


	24. Chapter XXIII: Simple Recipe

NUTMEG'S BACK!

**And demanding slave labor of us once again...**

Be grateful! If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have Tales of Vesperia!

**And if it wasn't for us, she wouldn't have Portal.**

...touche. Sonic the Hedgehog and above franchises do not belong to us.

**BEWARE: Chapter may cause cavities.**

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XXIII: Simple Recipe

Cooking was a guilty pleasure for Shadow.

When it had been just him and Maria, he'd quickly discovered that the then young girl had absolutely no skill in the kitchen. She burned dishes, allowed water to boil over, and every time she tried cooking it ended up the same way: with her, skin slightly burned, smiling sheepishly as he took over and scavenged whatever he could out of the meal she attempted to prepare.

During the short time between Maria's death and adopting Maia, Shadow had attempted taking up cooking as a permanent hobby. In the end, he had given it up because it had reminded him of his late friend's complete inability to cook for herself.

And now that he had Maia, cooking played an even more important part of his life: feeding his little girl.

On this particular day, Shadow came home to Maia attempting to carry a carton of milk, a stick of butter, a sack of flour and a stack of sugar on her own. The raw ingredients barely fit in her small arms, in addition to obstructing her vision. So it was no surprise when the young girl bumped into him, dropping the ingredients. She hastened to recover, but it was only with Shadow's assistance that she managed to stop them from colliding with the floor.

"Maia, what are you doing?" Shadow frowned, peeking through the doorway to Vector, who was sound asleep in the living room.

The kit frowned, rubbing her toe into the floor, "Well, Vector said that he had to make cookies last night, but I... kinda made a mess," It was at this point that Shadow noticed the soiled bowls lying in the sink, deprived of dough other than scrapings to the side, "Vector said he'd just make 'em this morning, but I thought I'd make 'em for him... as an apology."

Shadow smiled softly at the sweet gleam in her eyes, relishing in her innocence, "Well, if your going through all that trouble, I might as well help you," And with that, he took all the ingredients in his arms and set them on the table.

In what seemed like a matter of minutes, a bowl of mushy dough laid on the counter. Maia, covered in flour from her attempted to open the bag, giggled as Shadow's arm guided her's as they mixed it until it was smooth and creamy. It was then that Shadow added chocolate chips, one of which Maia pulled out and placed on her tongue. Shadow frowned at her, but found himself smiling softly at the silly grin on her face.

Shadow's hand guided Maia's as she gently scooped the cookie dough and slopped it on the tray in small, even balls that he had to explain would flatten out into soft chocolate chip cookies. After placing them in the oven, Shadow ushered Maia into the bathroom to clean herself up. It was at this point that Vector awoke.

"What...?" The young reptile questioned softly, rubbing the remaining sleep out of his eyes, "Shadow? How long have you been home?"

The ebony hedgehog surprised himself by realizing it had been almost a full hour since he'd arrived, "Er... some time," As Vector moved to get up, Shadow gently pushed him back down, "Stay. After all, the cookies Maia's making for you are almost done."

"Cookies...?" Vector blinked, before his eyes widened in revealation, "OH. That. Yeah, well, that's really nice of her. Tell her I said thanks."

Shadow surprised himself once again by smiling at the crocodile's words, "I'll be sure to. Thank you again for watching her, Vector. I'll have your pay ready before you leave."

"Thank you, sir," Vector smiled politely, "And thanks for helping Maia with those cookies."

Shadow turned away quickly, frowning, "Yes, well... I'd better start cleaning up. Maia made quite a mess."

Vector rolled his eyes as his boss hurried off. It was days like these that made him question why people were so afraid of him in the first place.

* * *

**...before remembering that Shadow hath beat up many a criminal.**

Eh, I dunno... this chapter's, like, a page long.

**I like it! It's a nice summary of the relationship held by all the characters. Just an average peek into their lives.**

...I don't get you.

**The feeling's mutual, sister. Anyway, expect the next chapter sooner than normal. Maia's turning FOUR.**

YAY! ...what the heck are we gonna do for that?

**...To the candy machine! DANANANANANANANANANANA!**

...Why me?


	25. Chapter XXIV: Fourth

Happy Birthday, Maia! And a happy birthday to my cousin! Hope you like your gift.

**It's a rock.**

It is not!

**Uh huh... sure...**

Ugh. Well, anyway, enjoy the chapter.

**And we don't own anything. Nothing... but our own souls.**

If you're trying to go all Zen on them, fail.

**(Sticks out tongue)**

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XXIV: Fourth

"Arg! Ya gotta be kidding!"

Maia frowned, looking up at her babysitter as he paced frantically from one end of the tight corridor to the other. One hand held a phone firmly in place next to his head. The other waved in the air to match the frenzied tone of his voice.

"C'mon!" Vector pleaded, "There's gotta be a way to- oh! Thank god!" He sighed in relief, slumping against the wall, "Well, okay, so yer computer's down, but ya got it saved off-site, right? Well, then, can't we just-? No? That won't work? Then maybe we can just print it off at school?"

The person on the other end mumbled something for a while. Maia strained her ears, but failed to hear more than incoherent mumbling.

Vector frowned, "Are you serious? Well, is there anyone you can get to- wait," Vector's eyes drifted towards her, and his face brightened, "I got someone here who can fix yer computer... yes, I'm sure she can. Remember the music player I had that shot out laser beams? Yeah, that was her evil doing... okay, we'll be right over."

The phone clicked off, and Vector turned to Maia, picking her up and placing her on his shoulder. She giggled a little -she'd always loved rides- and asked, "Where are we going?"

"My friend's house. We were workin' on some homework over the phone and his computer flipped out, so you're gonna need to fix it."

"Okay," A pause, "Who's your friend?"

"A cocky, whiny little prima donna of a bird. But you can call 'em Jet."

* * *

When the door to the house opened, the first thing that happened was Jet himself, expression somewhat relieved as he let them into the house, then immediately peered behind them to see who Vector brought to fix his computer.

The second thing that happened was Maia squealing.

Jet spun around in time to see the young kit Vector had brought jump over to his younger brother, embracing him fondly, while young Bean returned the gesture. Although puzzled, he couldn't help but smile as they chattered away about nothing.

"They met some time ago, at the park," Vector explained, keeping his voice low as to not catch their attention, "I always knew Maia sorta missed him."

The green bird shrugged, "Cool. Now, about my computer..."

"Ah, right," Vector whistled, catching the kids' attention, "Maia! Come fix Jet's computer. You two can play when yer finished Maia."

The kit pouted, "Aw, all right," She waved to Bean and followed Vector up a small stairwell, also followed by a stunned Jet. When Jet arrived at his own room, Maia was sitting in front of the computer, staring idly at it, while Vector stood over her.

"You sure about this buddy?" Jet whispered.

Almost immediately, Vector replied, "Of course. Just watch."

After a moment of consideration, Maia's small finger slowly descended upon a button, tapping it once and deliberately. Tongue sticking out, she then, just as slowly, pressed another one. Before Jet could comment, she cracked her knuckles and began tapping keys frantically, eyes never leaving the screen. Once again, the bird found himself slack-jawed as Vector simply grinned triumphantly.

"Done," Maia replied soon after, sounding almost bored. She jumped off the chair and ran downstairs to once again play with Bean.

Vector grinned, "Wow, she did a good job! I don't remember your computer running _this_ fast!"

Jet snapped out of his trance, "Wha-? Huh? How did she-?"

"She's a freakin' genius, that's how!" Vector grinned, "Now hand me the thumb drive so we can print this off!"

Numbly, Jet obeyed and watched as Vector worked quickly to bring up the document and set it to 'print'.

It was around this time that a sharp shriek went off downstairs. Too deep to be Maia's, too feminine to be Bean's. Both teens' eyes widened as they raced to the stairwell in time to see Jet and Bean's mother yank the young bird away from Maia, him protesting all the while.

"Mom!" Jet raced down the stairs, "What do you think you're doing?"

The bird glared sharply at her eldest son, a deep scowl imprinted on her beak, "Jet! Did you let this... thing in here?"

"She's not a thing!" Vector snapped, racing down the stairwell and stopping behind Maia, placing a large claw on her shoulder, "She's only a little kid! Have some decency, Lady!"

She frowned, her feathers beginning to ruffle, "Excuse me, young man? Did your mother teach you any manners?"

The crocodile seemed ready to charge at the mention of his mother, but Jet interfered, directing both Vector and Maia to the door as he spoke, "Sorry, Mom. They were just here to help me with some computer troubles. They're leaving now!" She didn't look happy, but the woman nodded and guided Bean away from the three retreating backs. Once outside, Jet looked back towards his friend in apology, "Sorry, man. She's always like this."

"S'alright," Vector nodded, picking up Maia to place her, once again, on his shoulders, "...hey, listen. Maia's birthday is this Sunday. If you can... could you get Bean over ta her house? She'd love that."

Jet frowned at the suggestion, puzzling it over, before finally nodding, "Yeah, that can be done. I'll see you tomorrow, Vector. Goodnight."

"'night."

* * *

"Absolutely not."

"C'mon, Shadow!"

The hedgehog frowned, turning around to face his employee, "I'm not going to have some strange boy over here on Maia's birthday. It's a special day and it's reserved for loved one's. Frankly, you're lucky Maia likes you so much."

Vector huffed, obviously not discouraged, "Look, Bean and Jet are really nice. And Maia and Bean seemed ta really hit it off!"

"...yes, because I want to hear that my almost four-year old daughter 'hit it off' with a boy I don't know."

"Ya know what I think?" Vector paused for a moment, as if waiting for Shadow to respond, "I think you're scared!"

Shadow blinked, "...excuse me?"

"Yer scared 'cause yer little girl's growin' up faster than you'd like. She's makin' friends and startin' school and she doesn't need ya much anymore," Shadow frowned, trying to look intimidating, and Vector continued, figuring he hit the nail on the head, "But ya know what? She's gonna make friends, and she's gonna meet boys, but at the end of the day, when she really needs help, she's gonna turn ta you. Cause yer not just her Dad -yer the most important person in her life. And as long as ya keep bein' exactly what she needs, that's not gonna change anytime soon."

The ebony hedgehog seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding, "All right. They may come. And Vector?" The crocodile sent him a questioning look, "Make sure you and your friend keep quiet about Maia's talent."

Vector nodded before taking off.

* * *

When the door opened that Sunday, Jet wasn't sure what to expect. Whatever it was, though, it was not an angry looking hedgehog glaring him and his brother down before moving to allow them into the house.

Jet glanced around briefly, admiring the pictures on the wall. Some were of humans. Some were of the black hedgehog, either with a blond human girl or his daughter. In some of the pictures, he looked... almost happy. It was shocking, to say the least.

Bean squirmed from his wings, but at this point it didn't matter. He set the kid lose, smiling when he heard the boy shriek with joy, followed by the chattering of two little kids.

"Hey, hey!" Vector greeted, a large grin on his face, "Glad ya could join us. Not much of a party -we decided against that after last year- but it's relaxin' and not very high maintenance. Especially with Bean keepin' Maia busy."

The two paused to watch Maia and Bean play. The two were keeping to the ground -a result of both having 'no flying indoors' rules- and seemed to be playing a game of good vs. evil. And for some reason, Vector seemed completely unsurprised that Maia chose to be evil.

"I AM THE AMAZING DR. ROBOTNIK, GREATEST SCIENTIFIC GENIUS IN THE WORLD!" Maia roared, standing on the couch and pointing her finger menacingly at Bean, "IF YOU ARE TRULY SUCH A GREAT HERO, THEN JUST TRY TO STOP MY EVIL PLANS!"

"You will never win, Dr. Robotnik!" Bean called out, "Cause I'm gonna stop you and smash all your robots!" The two giggled as Bean proceeded to chase Maia, occasionally dodging pillows thrown at him. Vector and Jet grinned, finding the two kids bizarrely entertaining. Even Shadow, watching from a dark corner, couldn't help but smile and roll his eyes and he went to check on the cake. Yes, everything seemed to be going fine for his now four-year old little girl.

That is, until a harsh knock echoed through the hallway.

Shadow went to begrudgingly answer it, not noticing the pale look that the teenagers' faces shared, or the way young Bean retreated from fighting the Amazing Dr. Robotnik with a pillow and retreated behind his brother's legs.

With a cold glare already plastered on his face, Shadow answered the door.

It was without warning that the large female bird strolled in, glancing sharply around the abode until she spotted her two sons, "JET! BEAN!" She snarled, "'WHAT do you think you're DOING?"

Jet seemed too stunned to speak, so Bean piped up from behind his legs, "W-we were just celebratin' Maia's birthday..."

"Well, now you're coming home!" She snapped, grasping Jet with one wing and Bean with the other, "I will not have my boys associate with dangerous freaks like these!" At the sound of the word _freak_, Maia's ears flattened against her head and began whimpering softly. Vector rushed over to the woman, trying to talk her out of this, only to be shoved roughly aside, "And don't think you'll be seeing anymore of my son! You're just as much a freak as the little rat in the corner."

At that comment, Maia started bawling.

And Shadow saw red.

The door slammed shut in a millisecond, a dark wind brushing by the birds as it did. The mother bird frowned, "What on Mobius-?"

"Excuse me," Shadow appeared in front of her, glaring. Despite being shorter than the mother bird, Shadow's glare caused her to back away, blinking in surprise and slight terror, "You enter MY house, insult MY daughter, and lay a hand on MY employee, and you don't think I want to have a word with you?"

"W-well," She stuttered, mostly out of surprise, "Well, I'm just to collect my boys..."

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind if we had a little... 'talk', don't you?" And with that, Shadow grasped her wing as roughly as he could, dragging her out of the room, through the kitchen and out the back door.

Silence followed the resulting slam. Vector, at this point, had finished comforting Maia, who was now playing with Bean, though more in attempt to distract him than anything. The crocodile's efforts now went towards reaffirming to his friend for the twentieth time that no, Shadow wouldn't kill his mother.

The back door opened.

Everyone watched as Shadow came out first, a soft smile on his face. Following immediately behind him was the mother bird, grinning widely.

"Pardon me, kids," She whispered in a gentle voice, "I'll go home now. Make sure not to stay out too late."

And, with that, she left. Jet broke the silence that followed, "Dude, what did you do to my mom?"

"Just had a little... 'talk' with her. She'll be fine," Shadow assured, then smiled down as Maia tugged on his leg. Without a thought, he picked her up, "Don't worry, Maia. She won't bug you again. And if anyone else does... just tell me, okay dear?"

"Yes, daddy," Maia smiled faintly, snuggling into her father's chest.

"Now," Shadow turned to the teenagers, both of whom were watching with fascination, "Who wants cake?"

* * *

**DON'T DO IT GUYS! IT'S A TRAP! THE CAKE IS A LIE!**

Oh, quit being so melodramatic. Anyways, that's the chapter. As to what Shadow did to the mother bird...

**...you don't wanna know.**

...yeah. So, anyways, read and review. Hey, does anyone else feel a little disoriented?

**They would if they'd been sitting in the dark staring at a bright screen and typing for two hours without a break! Geez, go get some rest.**

Whatever you say, Mommy... (Faints)

_And now a moment with MidnightBell: THE EVIL DOCTOR POTATO IS GOING TO DESTROY ALL THE RESTERANTS WITH HIS ANTI-FOOD VISION! AVENGERS ASSEMBLARGGGASDHGFSDF_


	26. Chapter XXV: School

OW! My chest!

**Not enough sunscreen, princess?**

Don't say it, Bee-boy!

**Just keep it dry and you'll be fine. In the meanwhile, you have a chapter to write- is that a burn? Like an actual burn?**

Who else would get a sunburn then the next day would burn themselves on a stove?

**Oh my gosh... wow. Just wow.**

Ah, shut up. We don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related characters.

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XXV: School

Maria Robotnik Jr stared blankly at the reflective surface in the bathroom.

Unlike her normal chosen attire of simple overalls, her father had decided on a plain white shirt and a plaited skirt with suspenders. Thankfully, her sneakers remained untouched but the change irked her. So what if she was going to school today? It didn't mean she had to dress up all fancy, did it?

"Maia!" Her ears flattened at the sound of her father's call, "It's time to go!"

With a sigh, the young fox hopped down from the bathroom sink and crept down to where her father was waiting. Shadow was leaning against a wall, eyes closed. For a brief moment, he looked as though he'd fallen asleep. Then his eyes snapped open, connecting with Maia's baby blue's.

"Ready to go?" He asked, almost rhetorically. Maia nodded, and they were off, Shadow scooping her up and racing off. The ride, in total, was almost a minute. It took almost an equal amount of time for Maia to reorient herself after a sudden stop from dizzying speeds.

When she finally did, her eyes fell on the building behind them. It was a simple, one-story brick building with a flag pole and a large sign reading '_Emerald Elementary'_. Simply looking at it, the building seemed like every other school building she'd seen on television. The only difference? This was real.

Maia felt herself instinctively calm down at the feel of her father's hand on her head, "It'll be alright, Maia," The young girl smiled, embracing her father closer, "Remember, if anything happens," He pulled back to look her in the eye as he spoke, "Vector's school is just down the street and I placed an F7 comm-unit in your backpack," He hugged her close again, "You ready, Maia?"

"Yes, Dad," Maia sniffled, then turned and walked into the building. Behind her, she could hear Shadow's footsteps as he followed behind her. She didn't dare turn around, though; instead, she continued forward, holding her head high in an attempt to show bravery. Eventually, she stopped outside a door covered in colorful artwork, handmade by the students of last year. Above the doorway, in carefully cut out construction paper were the words '_Welcome New Students!_'. Maia gulped, but reached up and turned the handle anyways.

Inside the room were children, all around Maia's age, running around and playing. The teacher, a young robin, glanced over and smiled at the last student to enter, "Hello, there. You must be Maria, right?"

The girl opened her mouth to reply, only to find it suddenly gone dry. Numbly, she nodded, only to feel her father's hand on her shoulder once again, "She prefers to be called Maia, actually," He stepped in front of her to shake the teacher's hand, "I'm her father. Should anything happen, Maia knows how to contact me," The young kit grinned, thinking back to the comm-unit Shadow had placed in her backpack. As far as she knew, it was the only way to be sure to contact him.

The robin nodded, "Rest assured, sir, I'll take good care of your daughter," She then frowned, "Aren't you the hedgehog who held up that store all those years ago?"

"...no. I have no idea what you're talking about," Shadow rushed over to Maia, kissing her quickly on the head, "Behave. I'll meet you outside at 1400 hours, okay?"

Maia mock-saluted, grinning ear-to-ear. Shadow took the time to let her see him smile before rushing out the door at mach speeds. The robin gasped, steadying herself with a nearby chair, then smiled politely down at the little fox.

"My name is Miss Carmello. Please, explore. Class doesn't start for another minute or so."

Maia nodded, glancing around the room until her baby blue's spotted familiar green feathers and widened. The young kit ran over, grinning, "Bean!"

Said bird whirled around, gasping at the sight of his friend, "Maia!"

The two met up and smiled at each other, before a call from Miss Carmello to sit down at one of the provided tables. Quickly the two raced and sat next to each other, listening absentmindedly as the teacher calmed the students and attempted to explain how attendance worked. Maia, who already had this process explained to her by Vector, just calmly whispered to Bean about the possible activities of the day.

Miss Carmello then called Maia's full name, and she stuck her hand up in response. The robin checked her off the list and moved on. At this, Maia frowned, almost disappointed. This was school? The thing that had her Dad so worked up for the last week? It was... mediocre, at best.

Then the teacher announced their first lesson of the year: numbers. And Maia groaned.

* * *

The hours passed, and two o'clock didn't come soon enough for the young kitsune's liking. Granted, lunch break and recess offered a reprieve from the quickly repetitive schedule, but she quickly realized that kindergarten was NOT the ideal place for her intelligence.

Thankfully, though, she had Bean, who seemed to be genuinely learning from the lessons offered. The young bird had freaked when Maia had asked him whether or not she should ask to be advanced a grade, citing that school wouldn't be any fun without her. So Maia pledged to put up with the too easy work and the boredom. She'd discovered drawing shortly after lunch, and by the time the bell rang she had a small comic plotted out.

Shadow had waited for her outside. Maia waved goodbye to Bean -who was walking away hand-in-hand with his mother, who was grinning ear-to-ear and glancing nervously at Shadow- and walked away from the classroom with her father.

"So, how was your first day?" Shadow asked. Maia considered, for a brief moment, telling the truth, but then thought again of poor Bean. The boy wouldn't survive without her! So she steeled herself, looked her father in the eyes, and smiled.

"It went fine, Dad," She then pouted, "But I missed you."

As she'd expected, Shadow picked her up, looking her in the eyes, "I missed you too, Maia, but you need to attend school. It's the law and, more importantly, you'll be provided with an education."

It took all of Maia's strength not to giggle right there and then, "I know, Daddy," She then made a face, "But do I have to wear another skirt?"

Shadow laughed, "Not if you don't want to, Maia."

* * *

**Hey. Coco would say bye before you left, but she's kinda... dealin' with something...**

UGH. I. HATE. THE. SUN.

**Remember, kids, always wear sunscreen! Cause apparently sunburns itch...**

I'll make you itch, you giant pest! (Grabs flyswatter)

**MEH! BYE GUYS! (Flees for life)**

_And now a moment with MidnightBell: The great dark beast looked up from the lunar surface, the Earthlight casting it's shadow over the dusty land it called home. It wondered what was on the great blue and green world that hung in the sky. As it walked to the edge of yet another crater, it stood up on it's hind legs, trying to reach the planet that always felt just out of it's grasp. The creature returned it's forelegs to the ground, wondering if there was someone up on that world who was looking back at it, trying to reach it's land. It swore that one day it would meet with this other being, knowing both worlds as more than another light in the sky._


	27. Chapter XXVI: Captured

**So... what have we done since we last posted.**

Well, school started.

**Yay.**

We went on a vacation...

**Where I was locked in a box!**

Sorry about that... and I got a new video game I haven't been able to play. (On account of the TV always being in use.)

**...Life sucks.**

Life sucks. StH does not belong to me.

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XXVI: Captured

Maia awoke knowing there was something wrong.

Normally, the young girl didn't wake before five. Sometimes, if she's had a long day, she'll delay rising out of bed for an hour or so. But almost never (thunderstorms not included) was she awake at midnight. Even Maia didn't like to be arisen at that time.

Gingerly, the young fox cub made her way out of the room, and experienced a new world: darkness. What was normally a warm, inviting home was suddenly a deadly fortress, not least of all because of the security system Shadow had devoted quite a bit of time and money into installing and upgrading.

But, Maia recalled, she was a big girl now, at the enlightening age of four years old. She could brave the darkest hallway or the loudest thunderstorm! And with that, she took a deep gulp of air and tip-toed into the hallway, towards the staircase, and, remembering that it had a habit of creaking when stepped upon, flew down the stairwell as opposed to walking down. Dad had told her not to fly in the house -especially when it was just her and Vector, as was the circumstance tonight- but she figured the rules didn't apply when a suspected intruder was within the household.

Maia entered the living room, still flying, and scanned it quickly before entering. Nothing was out of the ordinary, or so it would seem through the darkness. Vector was sleeping on his stomach as opposed to his back, but that wasn't something to get worked up over. The girl couldn't help but sigh as she silently flew over Vector and pulled a blanket over him.

Because sometimes, even large scary reptile monsters needed to be taken care of, too.

The quiet moment was interrupted when Maia's ears perked at thew sound of a gentle, subtle squeak. It wasn't simply the houses normal groans that had startled her. No, this squeak was special.

This squeak belonged to the back stairwell, which lead up to her and Daddy's bedrooms.

Only glancing over her shoulder at Vector -whom she knew wouldn't have awakened at the sound of the gentle creak- Maia twisted her tails and gained momentum, cautiously flying over the stairwell as she had many times before. This time, though, she could spot the difference almost immediately, even with almost no eyesight.

Shadow's bedroom door was ajar.

Gently, Maia pushed it open, taking a look at the would-be thief. His back was turned away from her, searching through the drawers of Shadow's desk which, Maia knew, only contained drawings she had done for her father. Slowly, Maia creeped in, towards the phone Shadow kept by his bed. Unfortunately, the floorboards gave her away, moaning at her weight.

Both she and the figure stiffened. Maia reacted first, ducking under the bed as the intruder turned around. She heard her own heartbeat and hoped that the intruder couldn't hear it himself as he inspected the room. With great care, Maia emerged from underneath the bed, reaching up as sneakily as possible.

Which, unfortunately, wasn't sneaky enough, as a large paw grabbed her hand and pulled her out, earning a yelp from the kit. She struggled, desperately attempting to free herself and only stopping when her eyes cast themselves upon her captor and she gasped.

She didn't know the man by name. Actually, she didn't believe her father did either. All her life, as far as she could remember, he'd referred to this man simply as 'The Grocer'. The man from the grocery store who cooed at Maia and called her 'Little Mai'.

At first, she didn't understand why. Then she spotted those three deadly letters on his jacket: EGO. He'd been working for the same terrorist organization that had attempted to steal a Chaos Emerald from Vanilla Rabbit, not so long ago. He'd probably always been working for them, since before her birth, spying on Shadow. How he'd disabled the security system she may never know.

And now here he was, breaking into their house. Whether he was after the Chaos Emerald or just here to hurt Shadow Maia didn't know, and she had no intentions of finding out. So with that, she continued yanking her arm away from the Grocer, who bent down and forced her to look him in the eye.

"Where are Shadow's mission files?" He demanded harshly, his large hands sinking into her arms from the sheer amount of force he was using. Maia winced, but refused to crack. Instead, she met his eyes and did her best impersonation of Shadow's most threatening glare.

"Maia? That you?"

The Grocer's hand was around her mouth in an instant, but the damage had been done. Vector was now awake and, despite being only a teenager, was strong even by crocodile standards. The girl was suddenly picked up, an unwashed glove still holding her jaw tight, and pulled off to the side, beside the door. It was only when the door widened and Vector stepped in did Maia realize what was going to happen. By then, there was no way to warn him.

Vector didn't go down easily, Maia would later be proud to say. The thief hit him square in the back of the head, nearly knocking him out. Instead, the crocodile punched back, getting in one hit before the back of his head met the wall once. Twice. Three times. It was then, crimson liquid seeping out of his body and staining the wall, that Maia screamed for her companion. Only to realize her mistake when she was down on the ground, her head pounding.

Even while she was being carried away, near unconscious, her mind still worried for the large crocodile left bleeding against the wall.

* * *

At first, Maia didn't recognize her location. That might have been due to lack of light, the pounding in her head, or some combination of the two. Regardless, eventually her mind calmed enough to recognize the surroundings as the last place she'd been held hostage: The living room of the old house in midtown. For the moment, despite being tied up, she was alone, and used her time to examine her surroundings.

Unlike the last time she'd been here, the place was devoid of any furnishings, as a result of the GUN investigation. From the mission reports she'd read, the place had been stripped clean after the events of the Chaos Emerald theft. As a result, she was lying, tied up, in the center of the barren living room. There was nothing she could use to free herself from her tight confines.

The girl's ears perked at the sound of footsteps approaching from what she remembered was the kitchen. Her eyes darted up, meeting the eyes of the Grocer as he rounded the corner. But there was no jolly spark in his eyes. Only a dead coldness that she'd seen once before, in the eyes of her father, that day when he'd raced through this house, taking out every EGO member within sight.

Unconsciously, she sniffled at the thought of her father. The grocer's eyes narrowed, and before the young girl knew what had happened, his open palm came into harsh contact with her face, sending it to the side with an audible _smack_.

"Don't cry," the man snapped, "I don't want anyone hearing you. Not just yet..."

Maia gulped, but nodded mutely. The Grocer approached her, muttering, and then put one hand to her mouth. Before she could even begin to wonder what he was attempting, a hand pulled on her tail and, with an audible rip, left, taking a fair amount of hair with it. The kit screamed, tears forming in her eyes as her voice was muffled by the furry paw in front of her face.

The Grocer backed away, taking the fur with him and walking back towards the kitchen. Maia was on her own again, left to squirm within the tight confines of the beige rope binding her. She did not dare make a sound, though, fearing what the elder would do if he heard anything.

A few moments later, she heard footsteps and stopped moving. The Grocer stepped in, carrying a simple white envelope with only a delivery address. He stared at her for a moment before picking up the young kit in arm and walking up the staircase. Maia closed her eyes, only opening them when she had been placed on the ground and the door in front of her slammed shut.

The room was pale and lifeless, a dying brown shade for the walls and a simple pine floor. Maia's ears pressed flat against her head as she observed the one source of light – a small, high window that she could only reach via flight. And even then, it was doubtful that she could squeeze through. The Grocer had known what he was doing, putting her here.

It would be some time before the Grocer returned, smirking in a way that Maia recognized meant help would not be coming anytime soon.

* * *

It was three days before help finally arrived.

During those days, Maia had been huddled in the corner of her tiny room, trying to get comfortable without making noise. When the young kit had felt brave enough to try yelling out the window for help, the Grocer had pound harshly on the door, loud enough to hurt the young kit's ears. After that she hadn't found the courage to attempt the same thing twice.

Despite that, for the most part her stay had been rather hospitable. The food was fresh and edible, at the very least, and he'd brought her games to play in the meanwhile. While the experience was terrifying, -not just the fact that he could hurt her, but the fact that he HAD hurt Vector- Maia understood how this would work.

At the end of the third day, Maia's ears perked up upon hearing a foreign sound, followed by flattening against her head as she winced at the sounds of gunshots. Moments later, loud footsteps made their way up the staircase and Maia, frightened, hid under the small bed.

Only when the door opened did Maia realize, with relief, that it was her father whom had caused the commotion. His eyes were wide and frantic, searching in attempt to find her. The dark bags under his eyes and unkempt fur didn't match up up with the man Maia called father. For a moment, while he was silhouetted against the door, she could scarcely make out who he was. Only when she heard his voice was she sure it was him.

"Maria!" Shadow called, and Maia's grin grew as she darted out from underneath the bed and into her father's arms. His embrace was almost suffocating, but somehow better than the hold of the Grocer, who's loose grip had only tightened when she squirmed.

The two remained in this position for some time until a GUN agent Maia did not recognize asked them to leave so they could perform a more thorough sweep of the house. Nodding, Shadow held Maia close as he droned on absently about something Maia knew wasn't important. It was only when they reached the front porch of the household did Maia's consoled mind recalled her babysitter, and she panicked.

"Daddy!" She cried, squirming out of his hold, "What about Vector? Is he okay?"

To her relief, Shadow smiled at her, "He's just fine, Maia. Actually, without him I probably wouldn't have found out where that..." Shadow paused for a moment, searching for the right word, "...jerk was keeping you. Want to see him?"

Maria nodded, then hugged him once again. Without meaning to, she yawned, to Shadow's delight. The hedgehog informed her that they would spend the night at home, and see Vector in the morning.

Maia almost complained, but decided against it. After all, it was clear how worried he had been. She'd let him fret out his anxieties before working to get things back to normal.

She'd enjoy it while it lasted.

* * *

**Coco would see you guys off, but she's currently moping.**

...I hate everything...

**Yikes. Better fix that before the next chapter. Goodbye people!**


	28. Chapter XVII: Growth

Oh man! December 21st!

**What an epic battle! You guys TOTALLY should have been there!**

Mercs coverin' the streets! Half-angel half-demon things engaging anything in sight in epic combat! All of them wanted us dead! Betrayal! Epic sniper shots! And...

**...A giant frickin' tentacle monster! EW! KILL IT! KILL IT!**

...in case you didn't get the joke, we were playing Borderlands.

**You guys suck. Anyways, here's the next chapter. We don't own anything**

* * *

Memoirs of a Forgotten Family

Chapter XXVII: Growth

It was several days after Maia's rescue that Vector was finally cleared to leave the hospital.

Throughout his entire stay, the only thing he could focus on through the rough interrogation was that little girl; all he really remembered about her abduction was the dull pain in the back of his skull, palpable even through the pain meds. He couldn't focus on a conversation longer than a few minutes. He couldn't hold down any food for the entire first day he was awake. All he could do was think back; try and try to remember, no matter how much it made his head throb. Only after he identified, buried in his fractured memory, the faint scent of citrus and deli meats did the questions halt, Shadow himself commanding the boy to get some rest before taking off.

The next day, he arrived during visitor hours with Maia hanging off his shoulders; the little girl grinning ear to ear, and even her father seemed happier than normal. He tried to apologize -it was his fault, after all- but neither parent nor child would have any of it. Maia told him with a silly grin that it wasn't his fault, and proceeded to give his snout a tiny hug. Shadow rolled his eyes at the boy. The hedgehog told him that the man he had gone up against was a highly-trained, highly-skilled EGO agent, and that he had been lucky to get out with his life. He still felt sorry, but knew better than to try and apologize again. They might hack into his computer and post his diary- er, journal entries online for the world to see. Well, Maia would, at least. The girl was sweet and kindly but had a mischievous nature to her when annoyed or angry. Which was why his MP3 player cooked toast and glowed in the dark instead of playing music.

The guilt gnawed at him even as the amnesia cleared and the memory of the fight came back to him. He had yet to tell anyone about it, instead pretending not to remember even after he was discharged. What was the point? It wasn't helpful in the slightest bit, now that Shadow had Maia back, and remembering it only served to remind him of his failure. How was he going to be a good cop when he couldn't even protect one little girl?

He had been afraid, almost, to accept when Shadow called and offered another babysitting gig. The teen was assured that the security in the household had been raised, and that the likeliness of this happening again was little to none. He accepted only when Shadow told him that Maia had asked for him and him alone, confusing as that was to the crocodile. But responding to this little request was the least he could do after all she had been through in the last week.

The evening was uneventful -unless you count the very specific and classified instructions about how to enable and disable the new security system that Shadow gave him before taking off at mach speeds. Maia had been put to bed on time, but as Vector curled on the couch, he couldn't help but thinking the new security system. If the alarms went off, would Shadow be here fast? Would other GUN forces? Would they be fast enough? And what about the EGO member who got past the old system? Could he get past the new one?

Searching the closet thoroughly, Vector managed to secure what appeared to be a baseball bat. It wouldn't be much if the opponent had a gun, but it would be something, right? He curled up on the couch, watching the front door for a good hour and a half before finally falling asleep, clutching the blunt instrument like a child's toy.

He was awoken several hours later by an unamused Shadow. Of course, he probably had been more amused before Vector, startled by the sudden touch of the hedgehog, attempted to hit him over the head with the bat. Said bat was currently being in Shadow's grip, held by its thicker end. He gave a nervous smile to the hedgehog and a blunt apology, scratching the back of his head nervously. When he looked at Shadow, his boss was massaging his temples with one hand, his other one using the bat to balance.

"Okay," The hedgehog sighed, "That's it. Follow me."

Vector hesitated. Understandably, considering how the last person to follow Shadow out of the house returned a brainwashed shell. But he ended up trailing the older male out of the household. The backyard was slightly muddy from the melted snow, but other than that was smooth and perfectly, one-hundred percent child safe. Of course it was, knowing Shadow.

The hedgehog turned and addressed him, "Alright. Get into stance."

"...huh?"

A single sigh, "I'm going to show you how to fight. If you're so paranoid about screwing up again, then let me teach how _not_ to screw up."

"Oh," Vector blinked. The hedgehog had never much been the... _nice_ type. Were his feet not sinking into the ground, he might have believed this was some medicine-induced dream and that he was still back at the hospital, "Uh, alright," He took a second, then got into a position he figured he could fight from. Shadow looked over his form, appraising it with a master's eye.

The critique was swift, "Not bad. If your a fast fighter. But you're not," Shadow roughly pulled the scaly arms into a better position, "You need to be able to move and go back into this stance as quickly as you can. Judging from your muscle development, I would say that you need to focus more on your raw power than anything. It's your greatest strength," He moved behind the crocodile, "Alright, now give me your best punch."

With all his focus, Vector threw forth one fist, launching him forward slightly. Shadow moved into his peripheral vision, inspecting him.

"You put all your weight into your movement," Shadow noted, "That puts you out of balance for the next attack. Your opponent will swiftly be able to strike you down unless you can react before he does. But you do have the power I estimated," He hummed, clearly thinking as he stroked his muzzle, "I think we should try mixed martial arts training. It's full-contact and allows for an aggressiveness that lets you utilize your strength to its fullest potential. That and we don't have to go through any of that peace and harmony stuff," He rolled his eyes, as if the concept annoyed him.

Vector nodded dumbly, still not quite sure what was going on. He listened quietly as Shadow laid out an after-school schedule, something they could both work around. Maia woke up sometime in the middle of scheduling, sneaking into the kitchen and attempting to toast some bread. It was at this point that Shadow excused Vector giving him his pay and going to help the four year old before she burned the house down.

Seven steps out the front door and it finally sunk in to Vector's head that he was now being trained by the most fearsome person he knew, who had threatened to kill him when he was first hired. Vector gave a loud sigh, collapsing to sit on the porch as he asked himself, yet again, "Just what did I get myself into?"

* * *

**Borderlands.**

Mass Effect.

**BORDERLANDS!**

MASS EFFECT!

**...oh, you're done already?**

We were just having an intellectual debate as to which video game series in our collection is the best futuristic shooter. MASS EFFECT!

**BORDERLANDS! Ugh, ignore her stupidity and review, plz. **

MASS EFFECT!

**BORDERLANDS!**


End file.
